Edward Hicks Cross Stitch Kits & Patterns (2)
Edward Hicks (1780–1849) was a Quaker preacher who painted over a hundred versions of the same painting — and somehow made each one feel necessary. The American folk artist's Peaceable Kingdom, depicting the biblical prophecy of Isaiah in which lions lie down with lambs and children play with leopards in a scene of perfect, impossible harmony, became his life's obsession and his greatest legacy. He painted it at least 61 times, possibly more, each version slightly different, each one a meditation on peace, faith, and the world as it ought to be rather than as it was.
Hicks came to painting late and almost accidentally — he was primarily a sign painter and carriage decorator who turned to fine art as a way of reconciling his Quaker beliefs with his love of visual beauty, which the stricter members of his community considered dangerously worldly. He spent much of his life in a state of cheerful theological conflict with his fellow Quakers, preaching simplicity while producing paintings of considerable decorative richness. He seems to have found the irony perfectly manageable.
Beyond the Peaceable Kingdom, Hicks painted American historical scenes — William Penn's treaty with the Lenape people, the Declaration of Independence, the farms and landscapes of Pennsylvania — with the same flat, vivid, utterly distinctive folk art style that makes his work immediately recognisable and deeply charming. He never trained formally, never sought fame, and never stopped painting. In counted cross stitch, Hicks's bold outlines, vivid colour, and naively beautiful compositions translate into designs of real charm and warmth that look wonderful framed. Browse our Edward Hicks cross stitch kit collection and choose a premium Hicks cross stitch kit or download an Edward Hicks cross stitch pattern instantly.
