David Sings and Plays His Lyre at Jerusalem Gate

Prompt

Psalm 9: "I will praise you, O LORD, with my whole heart... When my enemies are turned back... that I may show forth all your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion." Returning from victory, King David stands in the great stone gateway of Jerusalem playing his wooden lyre and singing with his whole heart, his face shining with joy and lifted toward heaven. The king is large and central in the arched gate, his royal mantle swinging, a gold circlet on his head; a few rejoicing townspeople with tambourines are glimpsed behind him, softly out of focus. Bright midday sun pours through the gateway onto the golden limestone walls. 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.