Or better yet, use gzip and inline all images as base64 encoded. The file size is very similar to raw data, and the number of requests with associated http headers is reduced.
Request count is really not a big deal with HTTP/2 multiplexing.
By forcing base64, you're eliminating all the caching and using much more CPU power to parse that back into a binary image. You're also making the page load slower as the initial payload is bigger and image data has to be handled in line rather than asynchronously.
Do any static site generators rewrite image links as data URIs?
I'm using Hugo and this is at least no default behaviour, not sure though if there is a switch for that.