Edward Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1834. Oil on canvas, 29 5⁄₁₆ inches x 35 ½ inches. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.

This painting by Edward Hicks presents a utopian world in which predator and prey lie side by side in peace. Notice the scene in the background in which William Penn is signing a treaty with the native inhabitants.What is Hicks suggesting about America? Is he suggesting that America is a type of utopia? Why or why not?

Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, USA/Bridgeman Images