Final answer:
Psalms are religious hymns praising the eternal attributes of God and His works in creation and history, often associated with the biblical King David and inspiring numerous artworks such as Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psalms are songs of praise that focus on the Lord's eternal attributes and His great acts in creation and history. Psalms like Psalm 19 and Psalm 145 extol the glory of God, declaring the beauty of creation and God's compassionate nature.
These religious poems are attributed to figures such as King David, who is often depicted as a musician and perceived as an archetype for righteous rulership in medieval times, reflecting on the divine inspiration and blessings attributed to his rule. Additionally, Psalms honor the nature of God as all-compassionate, a concept echoed in various religious texts such as Deuteronomy and Micah.
In the arts, these divine themes and the historical acts described in the Psalms have been an abundant source of inspiration for countless artworks, such as the grand Majestas Domini and the Psalms illustrated in medieval manuscripts, or more famously, in Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which features scenes of divine acts and prophetic figures.