The King And Bathsheba – 16″ x 20″. The 2019 work “The King and Bathsheba” was painted on a 16” by 20” black canvas using oils, heavy body and iridescent acrylics to enhance the moonlit effect of the nighttime scene. The figure of Elvis Presley is shown practicing the sport of parkour where the goal is to get from one place to another in a difficult environment with daring moves like sliding down a banister from one building to another. Elvis (“The King”) replaces the biblical King David and sees Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop. Holding his guitar aloft the painting captures the moment when he’s about to “leave the building” housing Heartbreak Hotel and land on the rooftop near Bathsheba. A spooky Grim Reaper lurks behind the screen where Bathsheba bathes on the rooftop of a building decorated with scandalized chimeras. In the window of the Heartbreak Hotel, a couple is shown looking away from each other. The Grim Reaper figure contrasts with the romantic aspirations of the King at his most powerful physicality and is a reminder of the early and tragic end awaiting him. It can also refer to the death of the relationship of the estranged couple in the window of the Heartbreak Hotel. The palm trees suggest the setting in Jerusalem and iridescent paint is used to highlight not just the sensuality of Bathsheba’s hair and jewelry in the moonlight but the star magnetism of Elvis Presley at the height of his powers. The relatively small size of the painting supports the intimate nature of the scene and the gap between the two buildings underlines the difficulty people may have making connections with each other.
The King and Bathsheba by Ellen Chadwick, oil on canvas, 16″x20″, 2019, in collection of the artist.