Caravaggio and decapitation

Caravaggio's Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist was painted at the end of his career, around 1610 and there is a similar one in Madrid. He had explored much the same idea in many of his earlier paintings like Judith Beheading Holofernes (the sad fate of Beatrice Cerci) and David with the Head of Goliath, and in his Medusa paintings like this one from the 1590's:

Why is decapitation of such interest to Caravaggio? I count at least 10 major works on the subject. The Baroque era in art may have been about heightened emotions and realism or, in art terms, chiaroscuro and tenebrism, or in political terms with the Catholic Counter Reformation, anger at the aristocracy and injustice, and the rise of slavery and colonialism. But, I can't help but feel there is a lot of bitterness and rage in Caravaggio's paintings, reflecting not just his own turbulent life and battles with authorities, but also reflecting a real mood shift in Europe.

It does seem fair to attribute the shift in artistic style at this time to Caravaggio's paintings, but it was also a mood shared by many other writers, musicians and painters who lived quieter lives, including Shakespeare and his contemporaries (c.f. Hamlet in 1599-1601). Rubens went Caravaggio one better with this extravaganza below of around 1617-18. Or see Artemisia Gentileschi here.