These Paintings are the World's Most dangerous

What makes a painting most hunted? When a work of art's value skyrockets by virtue of being a piece sought after by people who are willing to pay top dollar for it. Pictorially, that is also reflected in how widely it is sought after. When you think how many people regard certain paintings as the most prized possessions in their homes or collections, we find out why they're so popular.

Portrait of Bernardo de Gálvez

Portrait of Bernardo de Gálvez

Portrait of Bernardo de Gálvez is a painting by European artist Jusepe de Ribera, which depicts the Spanish governor of New Spain (present-day Mexico) in a pose that foreshadows Velázquez's Las Meninas. It is also known as Portrait of Juan Rodríguez Freites or Portrait of Juan Rodríguez de Huelva.

The work is dated 1571 and is located at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. It was commissioned by Juan Rodríguez de Huelva, who had served as governor of Florida and Cuba before being appointed to govern Guatemala in 1568. His title was changed to governor of Honduras in 1570, but he was arrested for treason during his trip back to Spain and imprisoned there until his death in 1573.

Portrait of Juan Rodríguez Freites is one of two paintings executed by Ribera while he was on leave from Rome after becoming director of the Academy of St Luke (now the Accademia di San Luca) in 1569; it shows him wearing an Italianate

Portrait of Henrietta Nelson

Portrait of Henrietta Nelson, by Richard Wilson

The painting, which is owned by the National Gallery in London and was commissioned by Mrs. Nelson's second husband, Sir Robert Walpole, has been the subject of many debates over its authenticity (the National Gallery says it is genuine). It was purchased at auction by an anonymous buyer in February 2012 for £2.8 million ($4.5 million) — a record price for a British painting at the time.

The painting depicts the young Nelson on horseback as he rides out to join his ship during the Battle of Cape Finisterre during the War of Spanish Succession. The painting was originally intended for a different subject — it was painted after Nelson's death and shows him wearing a naval uniform with a sword belt and sword on his hip — but it was considered too personal to display publicly after his death, so it was never exhibited until now

The Dead Mother

The Dead Mother is a painting by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. It is an oil on canvas work, measuring 76.5 x 93 cm (29.1 x 36.2 in). It was painted in 1659–60 and is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The subject of the painting is a woman lying naked on her back on a bed covered with red cloth, while two women stand at the foot of it. One of the women is holding a mirror to the face of the nude woman, while she herself holds another mirror to the face of her companion. She is looking at her own reflection and appears to be counting money on a table near by. The other woman looks out of the window at passersby below; she may also be counting money or weighing something.

The painting has been widely interpreted as representing death and burial, but its title suggests otherwise. It is often called "The Dead Mother" because it shows a mother dead or dying from childbirth or some other cause.

Vermeer was born Johannes Stradanus

The Rain Woman

The Rain Woman is a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican painting from the Maya civilization of Guatemala. It was painted in the early 15th century and is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The painting depicts a woman with a baby on her back, holding her hands to her mouth in a gesture of prayer. The woman is wearing a headdress and has long black hair that flows down her back. She looks up into the sky as if she were praying for rain.

The painting was created by an artist named Sahagun who used his own blood to paint this masterpiece. He was an Aztec artist who had been captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1519 and taken hostage until he agreed to paint for them. The Rain Woman has been called one of the most important works of art ever created because it illustrates how much influence these cultures had on each other over time.