Portrait of an Anonymous Young Man (a non-violence mural)

Portrait of an Anonymous Young Man by artist David McShane was located on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1999-2001. Intended as a mural advocating non-violence, the artist chose to approach the subject positively by depicting a scene of opportunity. The boy is surrounded by symbols of possible careers and life choices. The stained glass window is a reference to the religious faith of the community. The radiant color surrounding this young man symbolizes his potential and that these opportunities can become reality. The light bulb on his t-shirt represents his innate intelligence. The young man’s face, which is not intended as a specific portrait, is based on a photograph that was xeroxed and painted directly over, incorporating it into the original sketch.

McShane organized workshops with young people from the neighborhood who gave him ideas for what kinds of careers to include in the composition. While McShane was painting, a young man by the name of Joseph would come by
everyday and draw pictures copying his style. They became friends and when the artist was commissioned to do his next mural, he asked Joseph and other kids to pose for it. McShane doesn’t work from computer-posterized photos or slides as his style might suggest. He prefers to make his own choices about color and shapes.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (destroyed by fire in 2001).