Peaceable Kingdomca. 1830–32
A lion, a leopard, an ox and lambs gather peacefully with children among them, illustrating Isaiah’s prophecy that “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb … and a little child shall lead them”. More about this work
About this work
A lion, a leopard, an ox and lambs gather peacefully with children among them, illustrating Isaiah’s prophecy that “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb … and a little child shall lead them”. Edward Hicks, a Quaker minister and sign painter, painted the subject some sixty times, and many versions include, in the background, William Penn making his treaty with the Lenape, an image of the peace Hicks believed possible in Pennsylvania. The wide-eyed animals, rendered with the flat clarity of his trade, have also been read as reflections of the divisions troubling the Quaker community in his day.
Written by Ochre Editions.
How it was made
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
Edward Hicks
American, 1780–1849 · Born in Langhorne, Pennsylvania; died in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
Hicks was a Quaker minister in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who earned his living as a coach and sign painter. He is best known for the Peaceable Kingdom, a subject drawn from Isaiah’s prophecy of animals lying down together, which he painted more than sixty times, often with William Penn’s treaty with the Lenape in the background. The pictures reflect his faith and the divisions within his own Quaker community. He also painted farm scenes and historical subjects.
Written by Ochre Editions.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The Met has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 1970.283.1
- Credit
- Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Type
- Painting
- Department
- The American Wing
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
