Artwork
Peaceable Kingdom
Peaceable Kingdom is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Edward Hicks. It dates from 1831 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1970.283.1
- Credit line
- Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1970
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Edward Hicks's 1830 oil on canvas presents an allegorical scene populated by animals and a human figure gathered beneath a tree.
Edward Hicks's 1830 oil on canvas presents an allegorical scene populated by animals and a human figure gathered beneath a tree. The composition depicts a leopard, lion, lamb, cattle, and oxen alongside a woman, animals that together evoke the prophetic vision of Isaiah 11:6-9, in which natural predators and prey dwell together in harmony under a sapling. The juxtaposition of traditionally hostile creatures such as the lion and leopard with the gentle lamb and cattle conveys the idea of universal peace and reconciliation.
The inclusion of a woman and the framing tree reinforces the pastoral, Edenic character of the vision. Hicks, a Quaker minister, used this iconography repeatedly to express spiritual ideals of pacifism, brotherhood, and divine harmony, transforming a biblical prophecy into a meditation on peaceful coexistence.
Technique & Style
Created in 1830, this allegorical work by Edward Hicks is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The painting measures 45.4 centimeters in height and 60.6 centimeters in width. As a product of Hicks's practice, the medium allows for the detailed rendering of the various animals and figures that populate the composition.
The formal arrangement depicts a gathering of natural elements, including a tree, alongside a diverse assembly of creatures such as a lion, leopard, oxen, cattle, and a lamb, accompanied by a woman. These elements are unified within the allegorical genre to illustrate a specific thematic vision. The work remains part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing.
History & Provenance
Edward Hicks created the oil-on-canvas painting Peaceable Kingdom in 1830. The work, which measures 45.4 by 60.6 centimeters, depicts an allegorical scene featuring various animals such as lions, leopards, and oxen alongside a woman and a tree. While the specific circumstances of its commission and the detailed chain of ownership prior to its current location are not recorded in the available documentation, the painting is presently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art within its American Wing.
The 1830 oil on canvas is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. No specific accession number is recorded in the available sources. The provided documentation does not include any exhibition history, loans, or prior display venues for the work.
Context
The 1830 oil on canvas titled Peaceable Kingdom, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and listed among The American Wing's holdings, exemplifies Edward Hicks's allegorical biblical vision of harmony. Its depiction of a leopard, lion, oxen, cattle, lamb, tree, and woman aligns with the iconography described in the source material, situating the work within Hicks's broader series of religious allegories that reflect early‑American theological themes. Scholarship interprets the painting as a culmination of Hicks's folk‑art style, linking it to 19th‑century American religious thought and the transcendentalist milieu, while its reception has been noted for symbolic complexity and its significance in discussions of American folk painting.
The work's material attributes, oil paint on canvas, dimensions of 45.4 × 60.6 cm, are documented in the referenced records.
Overview
Edward Hicks's "Peaceable Kingdom" is an oil on canvas depicting an unlikely gathering. Wild predators like lions and leopards rest alongside domesticated animals such as cows and lambs in a verdant landscape. Human figures, including children and a woman, observe this harmonious scene from the side, embodying a vision of universal tranquility.
Legacy
The artist revisited the "Peaceable Kingdom" theme throughout his career, creating more than sixty distinct versions of the composition. While each iteration maintains the core imagery of diverse creatures coexisting, Hicks introduced subtle alterations in the arrangement of figures, landscape details, and overall emphasis, demonstrating his ongoing engagement with this powerful symbolic vision.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edward Hicks spent his life caught between two worlds. A Quaker preacher by Sunday and a painter by weekdays, he painted signs and carriages to support his family while quietly building a body of peaceful, crowded…
