Peaceable Kingdom

Edward Hicks, the Quaker minister and painter, is perhaps the best-known and loved American folk artist. As a member of the Religious Society of Friends he was also giving testimony to the traditional Quaker ideal of peaceful co-existence. One hundred and fifty years after Hicks, Quakers, like the rest of the country and most of the world, are still looking for an elusive peace. As homage to the gentle nature and placid vision of Edward Hicks, Martinez has created his own version of a Peaceable Kingdom. The location is Pennsbury Manor, the beautifully reconstructed country seat of William Penn outside Philadelphia. Most of the animals were actually seen there (but not, of course, in such close proximity). The painting was nearing completion when a friend from Downingtown Meeting called and told the artist the Twin Towers in New York had collapsed.