From wood engravings to the splash of red in a modern painting, the life of King David has inspired art through the centuries; and the art of King David has inspired Uvi Poznansky’s very human depiction of the aging monarch looking back on his days. In this art collection, David is old, seeking to rediscover his youth in the bodies of ever younger brides. The choice of an heir is much on his mind of course, and the beautiful bride might have much to say in his ear. Then comes the never-peaceful transfer of power.

So many different styles of art grace these pages, colorful, black and white, evocative, dark, strange, haunting… for this reader, the most striking is Henri Lidegaar’s Judgement of Solomon; the most beautiful might be James Tissot’s David Singing; and the most haunting is Salvador Dali’s Psalm 3, closely followed on the page and in my mind by Moshe Tsvi Berger’s Psalm 2. Of course, being English, I love the stained glass too. And my brother who once collected stamps would surely love the author’s curious collection. Artful coins and music complete the scene – a stunning depiction of a life that has influenced the world, and a great introduction to the author’s wonderful words.

Disclosure: It was on a deal and I couldn’t resist it. ( )

The David Chronicles is a series of short books that tell the story of King David from his fight with the giant Goliath to his old age where he is warmed by the concubine, Abishag. It is told through the medium of art: paintings, sculpture, etchings, coins, stamps and other works. There are poems and Bible verses to accompany each artwork and they are selected in the order that tells the particular story.
I've started with the ending book, Inspired by Art: The Last Concubine which tells the story of Abishag, a beauty selected to sleep with David in his old age. There is nothing sexual going on, just an attempt to figuratively validate the king's potency as ruler of ancient Israel. The author has selected an interesting collection of art from the masters to much lesser known works. It is an interesting (and new to me) way to tell a story like this in book form.
My only quibble is that I wished there had been a blurb that gave a short version of the story for those not familiar with this part of King David's life. I understand that these are companion books to the author's historical novels, so readers of those books would have been more knowledgeable. I found this an interesting new way to tell an old story. ( )