Decapitations

Giovanni Battista TIEPOLO
Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist(1732–1733)

No matter that this form of execution revolts todays civilized people, or horrified people of the past when decapicated heads of riots or criminals exposed in public, it seems to be the less painful and of instant death for the victim and in some cases a kind of honourable execution, in relation with any other kind of martyrdom of sadistic nature with prolonged suffering and terrible pain delaying as possible the salvation by death.

Decapitation of Violent Chinese Soldiers
artist:Utagawa Kokunimasa, October 1894

Also it was a common method of celebrating a victory in a battle by collecting heads of the dead enemies and make a pile of them and also a proof for the execution of a wanted criminal to claim the reward.

Chinese drawings of decapitation punishment

Decapitation of Christian martyrs
(unknown artist's medieval painting)

Crusader beheads arab prisoners

public decapitation (unknown artist and date)

Ritual decapitation in precolombian Peru
1000 years before Incas

Babylonian relief of decapitated enemies

Benvenuto Cellini, 1545 - 1554
Perseus holds the severed Medusa's head

Caravaggio (1609)
David holds Goliath's severed head

Artemisia Gentileschi (1614-1620)
Judith beheads Holophernes