To Kill a Mockingbird 50th-Anniversary Commemorative Portrait
Nicolosi • Mixed media, acrylic on canvas
Artist’s statement: “Throughout the novel, virtually every character, except Atticus, is a mockingbird. The mockingbird symbolizes purity and the innocence of youth. For one to kill a mockingbird is to destroy that innocence. This loss of innocence is the universal rite of passage into adulthood for every child and thus, the endurance and continued mass appeal of this American classic, even after five decades. Atticus is pure in spirit. By page one of the novel, he has already lost his youthful innocence. He is the conscience and the protector of all of the ‘mockingbirds’ in To Kill a Mockingbird. Even though he is the guardian of the innocent, by the end of the story, every character’s ‘mockingbird’ or innocence has been lost. Though he is a gentle man, his unrelenting
morals are deeply rooted in the rich Alabama soil and the dulcet tones of his commanding voice rattle the lofty canopy of the mighty oak. Atticus shields his children and tries to protect them from the evils of the world. He knows that the only way to do this is to instill in them sound morals, which each of them will carry into adulthood as their moral compass and their protection.”

To purchase a limited edition lithograph signed by the artist and Mary Badham, who played Scout in the 1962 classic film, click below.