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This example of the “peaceable kingdom” genre is by the obscure American artist James Miller. While we do not know precisely when he lived, we can deduce from stylistic elements that the work is likely from the nineteenth century and that he spent some time studying European painting, even though his odd sense of scale and eclectic flora reveal a charming naiveté.
The sixth-century BCE Jewish Book of Isaiah speaks of an era when “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (11:6). This prophecy was later interpreted by many Christians to describe the Second Coming of Christ, and became a favorite subject for American artists in the nineteenth century—most famously, Quaker painter Edward Hicks (1780–1839), who painted the scene at least sixty-two times.
Oil on canvas, 31.1 x 38.1 in., McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Gift of Alexandria & Michael N. Altman P’22, 2019.1
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Child
The “little child” is an example of a nineteenth-century idealized portrait—not a likeness of a particular person but an archetype based on conventional ideas of perfection. Raphael was a favorite model for painters of the era, and this child’s face resembles the Renaissance master’s depictions of putti and other infants. The child’s fanciful garments are more theatrical than historic.
Lion
The wonderfully expressive animals are not at all in scale to the central child. The lion is nonetheless anatomically accurate, indicating the painter had a model to work from. While today lions are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, in ancient times they spread throughout the Middle East and are prominent in Mesopotamian art.
Lion and lambs
In the background, another lion socializes with several lambs; these are in correct scale to one another.
Trees
These broad, leafy trees are painted schematically after the style of seventeenth–eighteenth-century European landscape painting—more specifically, influential Dutch artists such as Jacob van Ruisdael (1628–82). The painterly leaves are unvariegated and unidentifiable, in contrast to the highly detailed and specific plants in the foreground.
Aloe
The familiar succulent Aloe vera is native to the Arabian Peninsula, although by the nineteenth century it was cultivated worldwide for the healing and soothing quality of its gel.
Lamb
The delicate, pear-shaped lamb appears to be a Merino, a breed prized for the softness of its wool, originally from Spain.
Grapes
In front of the lamb are grape leaves. Grapes and vineyards are symbols throughout the Book of Isaiah, with a central passage being the “Song of the Vineyard” (5:1–7), an allegory about God’s relationship with Judah. For Christians, wine is one of the two elements of the Eucharist.
Cactus
This cactus is a member of the genus Opuntia commonly called the prickly pear. It is native to arid regions of the Americas, and its presence in this painting contributes to the work’s eclectic mixture of biomes.