Ugly Duckling & Wilbur

The Ugly Duckling and Goofy & Wilbur

Released:  March & April, 1939

Starting in 1938, Walt Disney contracted with Guthrie Courvoisier of San Francisco to market animation art from Snow White.  For the first time, the general public could own some of the incredible artwork that was being created in the Disney studios.  Most of the vintage animation art from 1937 to 1946 that we see today for sale in the secondary art market, was a direct result of this unique effort from Courvoisier Galleries.  Had this relationship not occurred, it remains highly likely that much of the animation art today would have been either destroyed, recycled or simply lost.  Thanks to Courvoisier’s insight, the modern animation art collector can aspire to discover some wonderful art from Disney’s earliest years.

This wonderful cel setup depicting the Ugly Duckling and Wilbur, showcases two vintage shorts in one animation piece.  The Ugly Duckling, released on April 7, 1939, became one of my favorite Disney animated shorts after re-discovering it while watching Lilo & Stitch in 2002.  This heartwarming story based upon Hans Christian Anderson’s tale, portrays the struggle of a young swan growing up as a duck only to discover that he is something more special.  This cel setup also features Wilbur from the animated short, Goofy & Wilbur, released on March 17, 1939.  Wilbur was the special pet of Goofy and focused on their escapades with fishing and all the things that could ultimately happen or go wrong.

Courvoisier cel setup, gouache on trimmed celluloid and watercolor on paper

Artist:  Various Studio, unknown

Acquired:  January 18, 2008

Cels were often trimmed to the outline of the character by the studio and paired with an original watercolor background created for sale that was similar to the production background.  In this cel setup, a studio artist paired two shorts together into one piece from artwork that was available at the time.  Here you have the Ugly Duckling and Wilbur interacting in a wonderful relationship set against a watercolor background of a scene similar to one in the Ugly Duckling.  I love the warmth and charm this cel setup conveys, as the Ugly Duckling finally seems to find a friend in Wilbur.  Additionally, the studio would also often emboss on the actual cel the words "Walt Disney Prod" and issue a special sticker often applied to back of the frame to further certify the authenticity of the piece.