Beheaded Collection (#4)

Beheading of St. John the Baptist, n.d. Creator: Master of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Beheading of St. John the Baptist, n.d

Judith with the Head of Holofernes, n.d. Creator: Marco San Martino
Judith with the Head of Holofernes, n.d

Sheet of Sketches, 1829. Creator: Auguste Raffet
Sheet of Sketches, 1829

Beheading of a Female Saint, n.d. Creator: Unknown
Beheading of a Female Saint, n.d

Judith with the Head of Holofernes, 1550/60. Creator: School of Luca Cambiaso Italian, 1527-1588
Judith with the Head of Holofernes, 1550/60

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, n.d. Creator: Jacobus Houbraken
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, n.d

David and Goliath, n.d. Creator: Henry Pierce Bone
David and Goliath, n.d

Judith with the head of Holofernes, 1898. Creator: Hermann Hahn
Judith with the head of Holofernes, 1898

Saint Livier. Creator: Jacques Callot
Saint Livier

David with the Head of Goliath, 1680-1743. Creator: Robert van Audenaerde
David with the Head of Goliath, 1680-1743. After Carlo Maratti

Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, 1514. Creator: Lucas van Leyden
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, 1514

Judith, ca. 1526. Creator: Barthel Beham
Judith, ca. 1526

Halberdier, 17th century. Creator: Unknown
Halberdier, 17th century

Lady Kayo, Consort of Prince Hanzoku of India, Holding a Severed Head, 1865. Creator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Lady Kayo, Consort of Prince Hanzoku of India, Holding a Severed Head, 1865. Series: One Hundred Ghost Tales from China and Japan

Head of Saint John the Baptist, c1496, by Marco Palmezzano
Marco Palmezzano (circa 1458-1539). Italian painter. Head of Saint John the Baptist, circa 1496. Lazaro Galdiano Museum. Madrid. Spain

Head of Saint John the Baptist, 1644, by Juseppe de Ribera
Juseppe de Ribera (1591-1652). Spanish painter. Head of Saint John the Baptist, 1644. San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Madrid. Spain. Date: 2019

Head of St John the Baptist, ca. 1630, by Domenico Zampieri
Domenico Zampieri (or Domenichino) (1581-1641). Italian baroque painter. Head of St John the Baptist, ca.1630. Detail. San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Madrid. Spain. Date: 2019

Statue of Salome, 1883, by Walery Gadomski (1833-1911)
Walery Gadomski (1833-1911). Polish sculptor. Statue of Salome, 1883. Marble. 19th Century Polish Art Gallery (Sukiennice Museum). National Museum of Krakow. Poland. Date: 2018

Salome and the Head of John the Baptist
A sculpture depicting Salome, the daughter of Herod II, sat on top of the pedestal, after requesting the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod was forced by oath to have John beheaded

Nicanor died after being defeated by Judas Maccabaeus. His head and arms are cut off. Mosaic. Sant'Evasio Cathedral. Casale Monferrato. Piedmont Region. Italy

The great martyrdom of Nagasaki, September 10th 1622, in which 22 missionaries and native Christians were burnt to death, and 30 others, including several women and children, beheaded

The people of Coed-y-Moch, Wales, found the wyvern a terrible nuisance, eating their flocks and so on : but the valiant youth Meredydd beheaded it with one stroke

JOHN THE BAPTIST DIES
John the Baptist is beheaded as a thank-you to Salome for dancing so well

Perseus with the Head of Medusa, c. 1800 (marble)
SBL426305 Perseus with the Head of Medusa, c.1800 (marble) by Canova, Antonio (1757-1822); Vatican Museums and Galleries, Vatican City; Photo © Stefano Baldini

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"Decapitated: A Glimpse into the Dark History of Beheadings" Step into a world where heads roll and power is severed. From Gustav Klimt's haunting depiction of Judith to Artemisia Gentileschi's fierce portrayal of Judith and Holofernes, beheading has long held a macabre fascination. Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII's tumultuous relationship echoes through time, their tragic end forever marked by the executioner's blade. The likes of Justin Martyr, Lord Lovat, Countess of Salisbury, James Duke Monmouth also met this gruesome fate. Even South American cannibals in the 16th century embraced decapitation as part of their rituals, reminding us that such acts transcend cultures. St. Denis holding his own head with angelic guardians on the Virgin portal sends shivers down our spines. Intriguingly, Queen Margaret placing a paper crown on the head of the Duke of York captures an eerie blend between symbolism and reality. Was it an 18th-century creation or an authentic glimpse into history? The Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride forth with death wielding its scythe - beheading being one method to claim souls. And who can forget Catherine Howard's miniature portrait capturing her doomed destiny? Beheaded - a word that evokes fear and fascination alike; it reveals humanity at its darkest moments when power clashes with mortality. These glimpses into history remind us that even in our modern age, we are captivated by these tales from yesteryears' blood-soaked pages.