1. Protestant pilgrims are shown on the deck of the ship Speedwell before their departure for the New World from Delft Haven, Holland, on July 22, William Brewster, holding the Bible, and pastor John Robinson lead Governor Carver, William Bradford, Miles Standish, and their families in prayer. The prominence of women and children suggests the importance of the family in the community. At the left side of the painting is a rainbow, which symbolizes hope and divine protection.
Weir (1803–1890) had studied art in Italy and taught art at the military academy at West Point.
Embarkation of the Pilgrims Robert W. Weir Oil on canvas, 12' x 18' Commissioned 1837; placed 1844

2. John Gadsby Chapman depicted Pocahontas, wearing white, being baptized Rebecca by Anglican minister Alexander Whiteaker in Jamestown, Virginia; this event is believed to have taken place in 1613 or She kneels, surrounded by family members and colonists. Her brother Nantequaus turns away from the ceremony. The baptism took place before her marriage to Englishman John Rolfe, who stands behind her. Their union is said to be the first recorded marriage between a European and a Native American. The scene symbolizes the belief of Americans at the time that Native Americans should accept Christianity and other European ways.
Chapman ( ), born in Alexandria, Virginia, studied art in Italy and became known for his portrait and historical paintings and his rich use of color.
Baptism of Pocahontas John Gadsby Chapman Oil on canvas, 12' x 18' Commissioned 1837; placed 1840

3. Edward Hicks Edward Hicks Encyclopædia Britannica Article Page 1 of 1
born April 4, 1780, Attleboro, Pa., U.S. died Aug. 23, 1849, Newtown, Pa.
The Cornell Farm, oil on canvas by Edward Hicks, 1848; in the National Gallery of Art, … Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
American primitive, or folk, painter known for his naive depictions of the farms and landscape of Pennsylvania and New York, and especially for his many versions (about 25 extant, perhaps 100 painted) of “The Peaceable Kingdom.” The latter work depicts Hicks's belief, as a Quaker, that Pennsylvania was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (11:6–9) of justice and gentleness between all men and beasts. William Penn and other Quakers appear on the left of the picture, making their treaty with the Indians, while Isaiah's beasts are gathered on the right with little children playing among them. The landscape, figures, and animals make a charmingly awkward pageant of the Quakers' ideas.
Hicks came to art late. A painter of coaches and signs in early life, for many years he devoted all his serious energies to his avocation of preaching. It was as a preacher that he was celebrated among his contemporaries, and the 3,000 mourners at his funeral grieved at the loss of a favourite minister. He began to make easel paintings when he was in middle age, and with some reluctance. Although he feared that art was contrary to religion, he testified that it could sometimes bring meaning to life. Unable to make a painting without an apparent moral, he often framed a picture with edifying verse of his own composition, like that surrounding his view of Niagara Falls.

4. HICKS Edward | Peaceable Kingdom. | c. 1830

5. HICKS Edward | Penn's Treaty with the Indians. | 1845

6. Peaceable Kingdom. Detail: Quakers with banners. | 1839

8. Edward Hicks

9. HICKS Edward | Leedom Farm. | 1849

10. HICKS Edward | The Cornell Farm. | 1848