(Walt Disney Studios, 1967) Extremely rare original concept painting attributed to Marc Davis for Disneyland's famous dark ride attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, depicting a pair of startled crewmen as they discover a menacing pirate hunkered below a large waving 'Jolly Roger' flag. Davis captures the scene brilliantly, with the pirate's bright outfit dominating the ship's otherwise gloomy deck, a blast of color sure to surprise even the most fearless of sailors. Accomplished in watercolor on untrimmed 15 x 11.75 heavyweight art paper, with the total image measuring 14 x 11.5. In fine condition, with tack holes to corners.
One of Disney's Nine Old Men, the legendary core animators of early Disney films, Davis joined Disney in 1935 as an apprentice animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He continued to work on classic films like Bambi, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland, and then later transferred to Disney’s Imagineering team where he contributed whimsical story and character concepts for Disneyland attractions like the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Davis is probably best known as the father of some of Disney’s most memorable animated women, including Cruella De Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, and Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.
