Bel and Nebo Carried Off on an Ox Cart

Prompt

Isaiah 46: Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth. Two heavy gilded robed statues of the Babylonian gods Bel and Nebo, roped onto a wooden ox cart, tilt and topple, large and central, as the exhausted oxen pulling it stagger and sink to their knees under the weight, while frightened Babylonian priests strain at the ropes. The cart is being carried away into captivity along a dusty road out of Babylon. Hot bright afternoon sun, a mood of collapse and futility. Style: a blend of photo-realism and cinema, like a still from a big-budget film. Bright, rich, saturated, luminous colour, clear daylight or glowing golden light even in dramatic scenes, never murky or muddy, crisp detail, real human faces full of emotion, shallow depth of field, subtle film grain. Simple, uncluttered composition: ONE clear scene from this chapter, with the chapter's main character or characters large, close and central in the upper and middle frame, and a simple background. No montage, no collage, no inset vignettes, no crowd of small figures competing for attention. Historically accurate ancient Near Eastern clothing, architecture and landscape. Keep the bottom quarter of the frame simple and uncluttered (ground, water or sky) so a large chapter number can be set over it. Absolutely no text, no letters, no words, no numbers, no logos, no watermark, no border, no frame.