Plate 21. Mocking Bird 

John James Audubon crafted this image of mockingbirds with watercolor, pastel, and graphite. The scene is rife with life, yet also gripped by a primal drama. The birds fiercely defend their nest against a rattlesnake, a potent symbol of danger and deceit, deeply rooted in mythology. Consider the snake; from the Garden of Eden to ancient Greek depictions of the Hydra, it embodies temptation and hidden threats. Here, Audubon presents the birds' instinctive defiance against such ancient forces, a battle played out countless times in the natural world. The aggressive stance of the birds evokes the protective instinct seen in countless maternal images throughout art history, reflecting a timeless struggle for survival. This image taps into our collective unconscious, resonating with the universal themes of protection, danger, and the eternal conflict between innocence and threat. It’s a vivid tableau that reminds us of the continuous, cyclical presence of these archetypes in our shared human experience.