Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts

by Wolf Burchard

How Walt Disney and the Disney Studios wove the aesthetics of French decorative arts into the fairy-tale worlds of beloved animated films, from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast and beyond

Pink castles, talking sofas, and objects coming to life: what may sound like the fantasies of Hollywood dream-maker Walt Disney were in fact the figments of the colorful salons of Rococo Paris. Exploring the novel use of French motifs in Disney films and theme parks, this publication features forty works of eighteenth-century European design—from tapestries and furniture to Boulle clocks and Sèvres porcelain—alongside 150 Disney film stills, drawings, and other works on paper. The text connects these art forms through a shared dedication to craftsmanship and highlights references to European art in Disney films, including nods to Gothic Revival architecture in Cinderella (1950); bejeweled, medieval manuscripts in Sleeping Beauty (1959); and Rococo-inspired furnishings and objects brought to life in Beauty and the Beast (1991). Bridging fact and fantasy, this book draws remarkable new parallels between Disney’s magical creations and their artistic inspirations.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

Wolf Burchard is a British-German art historian and museum curator. He joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 2019, where he is associate curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts.

Reviews

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this beautiful book for Christmas after admiring it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The illustrations are beautiful, depicting both the European art and material culture that inspired classic Disney films and animation and photography from the Disney archives, depicting scenes from the films that were released and sketches that never became part of the finished product but provided inspiration for future artists. The book contains a wealth of beautiful images and provides a cosmopolitan history of the Walt Disney Company, showing how different periods of European art and architecture shaped the aesthetic of Disney's Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Beauty and the Beast.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ten star book for anybody interested in animation.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! I only skimmed the blocks of text, but immensely enjoyed the artwork. I will probably check this book back out of the library again in the future! Highly recommended for all Disney art aficionados, especially fans of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. Sometimes dense, but the intersection of French art and Disney is surprisingly rich ground, so there's a lot to cover.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are into classic Disney OR if you are into French decorative arts then you should DEFINITELY have this book. If neither of those things interest you, there's no reason for you to look at it. The writing is a bit disjointed and random- it was clearly written by an academic and not by a writer. But it's full of juicy themes and concepts, and the illustrations are to die for.

Since those will probably be the calling card for most people interested in this book, I'll list the illustrations from the first 50 pages (out of 208) here, to give you a taste---
* The inside covers are background art for the stepsisters' bedrooms in Cinderella
* A drawing of a jewel box with a threesome enjoying a swing
* A porcelain sculpture of 18th-century leisure-class parasites playing musical instruments on an ornate sofa
* Concept art for Cogsworth
* An architectural sketch for a Disney castle
* The Swing by Fragonard
* The nave of the Zwiefalten Abbey
* An ornate pink pitcher and bowl by Sèvres
* The vultures from Snow White
* A New York Times interview with Disney
* Animation of some of the seven dwarfs
* Disney holding the above animation
* A poster for Cocteau's Belle et la Bête
* Another background shot from Tremaine Manor
* A photo of Disney in World War I
* An illustrated letter Disney sent from war-torn France
* An antique photo album of Parisian pilgrimmage sights
* Toad Hall
* A black-and-white of the Bridge of Sighs at Oxford
* A black-and-white drawing of the Hall of Mirrors
* A Dulac illustration for The Sleeping Beauty
* A Lorioux illustration of Cinderella and her fairy godmother
* A miniature four-poster bed constructed by Disney
* Three rooms from the Narcissa Thorne dollhouse collection
* Disney with a miniature room designed as concept art for his amusement park
* Disney with a miniature room from the Thorne collection
* Miniature pot-bellied stoves created by/for Disney
* Chairs from Disney's collection of dollhouse furniture
* A German miniature wedding cupboard
* Miniature jugs and cups from Disney's dollhouse collection
* A group of Limoges plates
* Another Limoges plate
* The Dance Before the Tent by Nicolas Lancret
* A scale drawing for a chest built for the Thorne collection
* A chest of drawers attributed to Oppenordt
* Some porcelain children looking at a picture box
* Ornate Sèvres candle sconces
* A drawing of a porcelain workshop from Diderot's Encyclopédie

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely detailed book on the French decorative arts and how it could’ve possibly inspired the brilliant minds behind some Walt Disney Animation Studios’ unforgettable films. Perfect for anyone who missed the exhibit at the Huntington Library or if you attended and would like to enter a deeper discussion as to how the two intertwine.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t always add art books here, but I did for this one because I read it cover to cover.

The concept of the exhibition was really great, and so we’re the photos. There were some times when the text was a bit dense, though, and hard to move through.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully produced book on a fascinating exhibit held at the Met on NY. I wish I could have seen it in person!

[Richard Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative account of Walt’s European influences.

[Beth Ferleger · Rating 4 out of 5]

great coffee table book!