biography of Edward HICKS (1780-1849)

Birth place: Attleboro (Langhorne) Bucks County, PA

Death place: Newtown, PA

Addresses: Newtown, PA

Profession: Landscape, religious, and historical painter

Studied: self-taught

Exhibited: "The Kingdoms of Edward Hicks," Rockefeller Folk Art Center, Williamsburg, VA, 1999

Work: versions of "The Peacable Kingdom" are in the Brooklyn Mus.; Newark Mus.; Denver Mus.; MMA; Shelburne (VT) Mus. Other works by Hicks in: Rockefeller Folk Art Collection, Williamsburg, VA; PMA

Comments: Probably the best known of the 19th century American "primitive" painters, Edward Hicks spent most of his life in Newtown, Bucks County. He began his painting career in 1801 as a coachmaker and by 1811 was focusing on coach, sign, and ornamental painting. While this was his trade, he gave much of his time to painting historical and religious scenes, the best known being his iconic piece of Americana, "The Peaceable Kingdom," of which he is thought to have painted over 100 versions (one of which sold at auction for over $4,700,000 in 1999). These pictures feature both wild and domestic animals lying down together, often with children, in apparent peace. From 1800-on, Hicks also doubled as a prominent Quaker preacher. His distant cousin, Elias Hicks, was a leader in the Quaker Separatist Movement; and after 1825, Hicks also became embroiled in this philosophical schism within Quaker society óa problem reflected in the increasingly restless and angry looks of the wild animals in his paintings. Often, he also included Biblical text on these works, which were given to friends as gifts between 1820-49. Edward Hicks continued to paint almost until his death, although he viewed himself as a "worthless and insignificant painter." Another cousin, Thomas Hicks (see entry), received his first instruction in painting from Edward, whose portrait Thomas painted in 1837.

Sources: G&W; Alice Ford, Edward Hicks, Painter of The Peaceable Kingdom (Phila., 1952); Hicks' own Memoirs (Phila., 1851) deals largely with his religious activities. See also: Bye, Edward Hicks, Painter-Preacher" and "Edward Hicks"; Held, "Edward Hicks and the Tradition"; Lipman and Winchester, 39-49. More recently see Baigell, Dictionary; Muller, Paintings and Drawings at the Shelburne Museum, 78 (w/repro.); 300 Years of American Art, vol. 1, 89"

Legals