Released: December 21, 1937
With the release of Snow White in 1937, Walt Disney set in motion an uniquely American cultural trend that continues to the present day. The animated feature has entertained Americans for decades and still provides a great sense of escapism and fantasy for young and old. Beginning with the success of Mickey Mouse and continuing with the Silly Symphonies, Walt Disney pioneered the use of technology to bring to the silver screen a brand new art form. He introduced sound and color to animation, invented the multi-plane camera and created the storyboard process. Employing hundreds of artists who created thousands of drawings, concept art, hand painted cels and backgrounds, the first animated feature showcased what animation could really do, entertain an audience with heart.
Original production cel setup on watercolor background, gouache on trimmed celulloid, watercolor on paper,
Acquired: March 23, 2001
Supervising Animator: Hamilton Luske
Cel Artists: Various Studio, unknown
Showcased here is one of my favorite pieces from Snow White. Cels of her at the wishing well are rare. This cel setup is composed of seven doves with Snow White all trimmed to image and placed on a Disney studio prepared watercolor background as sold through Courvoisier Galleries of San Francisco post the film’s release. It was common for the studio to create original paintings that were very similar to the production backgrounds and paired with matched production cels for sale to the public. Cel setups like this one typically sold for around $25 at the time of the film’s release.
This setup was my first piece from Snow White and is a cornerstone of the collection. The cel of Snow White is from the same sequence as the doves, but appears when she’s on the castle balcony admiring the prince from up high. This cel of her appears on screen for two frames and everything you see was created by hand. If you look close you can find some amazing details: from dry brushstrokes in her hair to the rouge on her cheeks to precise hand-inked lines. When one watches the film, It is amazing to think that this cel of Snow White and the doves were completely created without the aid of computers or modern digital technology.
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