Artist Edward Hick's began to create oil paintings of 'The Peaceable Kingdom' based upon the description found in the Holy Bible's Book of Isaiah. He produced over sixty versions of 'The Peaceable Kingdom' between 1820 and 1849. One of the themes which are evident is the unity of the animals and the humans.
             There is a presence of harmony expressed by the animals in this artwork. The artist wants the observer to see what he believes is the Garden of Eden resurrected: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid...and a little child shall lead them"(Hughes). This part of the work was influenced by Isaiah's biblical prophecy (11:6-9) of grave conformity of the most tender and vicious creatures of the world. As you look further into the painting, you will notice the wild cats as they stare at you with their intense gazes. The lion and the tiger give the impression that they are formidable, which seems ironic since the painting represents peace (Albertson).
             The conformity asserted by the humans acknowledges the society of friendship between William Penn and the Indians: "The humans with the undesirable propensities such as greed, jealousy, and cruelty represented by the lion, leopard and the bear were redeemed by relinquishing their self-will to the will of God...the denial of self-will led to peaceful coexistence with good men and women represented by the lamb, kid, and cow as stated in Isaiah's Prophecy" (Andrew). Hicks was gentle in his statements of faith, as shown by the sweet, mild faces of most of the animals. 'The Peaceable Kingdom', with its carefully painted animals and children, showing William Penn and the Indians in the distance seems to express the belief that the Quakers in some way represented the realization of Isaiah's prophecy.
             Words of devotion suit the situation of togetherness in this painting, a situation which in itself is religious. You can feel that the ear...