Peaceable Kingdom 1837

Edward Hicks created this “Peaceable Kingdom” painting in the early 19th century, using oil paints on canvas. Hicks was a coach painter, and the materials he used weren’t esoteric high-tech ones, but simply the paints and canvas of his era. There’s a directness in his application, a plain-spoken quality that echoes his Quaker faith. Look closely, and you can see the paint’s texture, the layering and blending that gives depth to the figures and landscape. Hicks made many versions of this composition, each with variations, suggesting a process of repetition and refinement. But I think the real process here is a social one. As a Quaker minister, Hicks was deeply concerned with the relationship between humanity and nature, and between different human groups. He sees painting as part of his ministry, and so collapses the distinction between fine art and social action.