The FHS grant provides support for the exhibition Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts, presented on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the animated film Beauty and the Beast, which was adapted from an 18th-century French fairy tale.
Historical Significance
Walt Disney was one of the most important and influential cultural figures of the 20th century, creating cinematic masterpieces that were deeply rooted in European art and culture. A distinct affinity for European art informed all areas of his professional life and personal collecting, as seen in his love of illustrated children’s literature, German Romanticism, Tudor architecture and Victorian interiors.
Though strongly associated with American culture, Walt Disney had ancestral connections to France. The Disney family originated in Normandy in the 11th century. William the Conqueror bestowed the title “Lords of Isigny” to Hugues Suhard and his son Robert, in recognition of their loyalty. Over time, the French surname “d’Isigny” was anglicized, first to “D’Isney” and then to “Disney.” In the 19th century, Arundel Elias Disney—Walt Disney’s great-grandfather—immigrated with his family to the New World.
Walt Disney discovered France in 1918, shortly after the armistice, when he was driving ambulances for the Red Cross. He visited France several times thereafter, and in 1935 he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur. He took great pride in his French roots, to the point that he commissioned a family crest based on the d’Isigny coat of arms, which adorns the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris.
About the Exhibition
In collaboration with the Wallace Collection in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is planning its first-ever exhibition devoted to Walt Disney and the artistic output of his studios. Inspiring Walt Disney, opening at The Met in fall 2021, will explore Disney’s keen interest in classic tales, art and architecture and their powerful influence on his work. This exhibition and its accompanying catalogue seek to examine in particular the visual and cultural impact of the art and architecture of France on Disney, drawing remarkable parallels between the striking designs from the Disney Studios and significant decorative works of art from The Met as well as the Wallace Collection. On view from December 6, 2021, to March 6, 2022, the exhibition will mark the 30th anniversary of Disney’s beloved animated film Beauty and the Beast, adapted from an 18th-century French fairy tale in which decorative works of art come to life.
