While some of us were preparing for the holidays cleaning house and last-minute shopping, a couple of art thieves were hard at work in Brazil.

On Dec. 20, within three minutes, burglars lifted from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art paintings by Pablo Picasso and Candido Portinari—both of which are uninsured, according to a museum spokesman. The robbers’ tools? A crowbar and a car jack.

Click here for the story from ABC News.


Update (1/9/08): The paintings have been recovered, and in perfect condition. Click here to read more on Yahoo!

Update (1/21/08): Now Sao Paulo state authorities want to shut the museum down. Click here for more from CBC News.