Edward Hicks was born in Pennsylvania in 1780. His
mother died the
very next year and he was raised by a Quaker family. He didn't do well
in school, so his parents decided that he should work for a coachmaker.
He enjoyed this very much and learned skills which helped him to become
a painter.
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He married, and he and his wife, Sarah had four
children. At one time
he became very ill, and as a result, he began to think more seriously
about his life. He started attending the Quaker church.They believed in
peace and brotherly love.
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He was making a living as a coachmaker. He would paint
signs and
coaches, but he was interested in becoming a minister. He was a popular
preacher.
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As he studied the Bible, he concentrated on the book
of Isaiah. He
especially liked the part in chapter 11 where Isaiah wrote,
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"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the
leopard shall
lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling
together; and a little child shall lead them."
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He began to paint pictures about "The Peaceable
Kingdom". In fact,
he painted at least 60, and some say 100 pictures with this title.
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He became an art teacher later in his life and lived
to be 69 years old.
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The story of Noah, which he painted in this picture,
can be found in the Bible in Genesis chapters
6-9.
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