In charming Folk Art style, Edward Hicks depicts a serene coexistence between animals and mankind in “The Peaceable Kingdom, 1834.” A Quaker preacher, Hicks (1780 – 1849) interpreted the Biblical passage from the Book of Isaiah, in which wild animals lie down with their prey and a child leads them in peace. Part of a series of more than 60 paintings illustrating Isaiah’s prophesy, it underscores the ideal of peace with calm, brown tones. Hicks also incorporated a scene featuring William Penn’s treaty with the Indians to accentuate the theme of camaraderie. The night before he died, Hicks was working on this piece for his daughter, Elizabeth.

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