(Walt Disney Studios, 1959) Magnificent original concept storyboard painting by Eyvind Earle for Sleeping Beauty, portraying the powerful sorceress Maleficent atop a castle tower as she prepares to transform into a gigantic dragon. In true Earle form, the scene is vividly realized, forcing the viewer to observe through the spires of a crumbling stone wall as the film’s arch villainess, her green scepter raised to the sky, conjures her dark magic against a grim and cloudy backdrop. Accomplished in tempera on 12.75 x 6.5 artist's board, with Earle signing in green paint in the lower right corner. In fine condition, with tack holes to corners and trivial wear to edges. Disney artist Eyvind Earle was Sleeping Beauty's production designer, and Disney gave him a significant amount of freedom in designing the settings and selecting colors for the film. Earle also painted the majority of the backgrounds himself, and his stylistic influence is readily apparent in the final product. A sensational depiction of the ‘Mistress of All Evil.’
