(Walt Disney Studios, 1959) Outstanding original concept painting by Eyvind Earle for Sleeping Beauty, portraying the evil sorceress Maleficent descending the curved stone staircase inside her castle. Earle's keen sense of perspective is evident in the artwork, which is dominated by the shadowy stonework of the castle's immense interior. Maleficent stands tall at the center of the scene, holding her wicked scepter. Using a constrained palette of grays and blacks—with delicate touches of greens and purples—Earle has rendered the artwork with the expertise of a master. Accomplished in gouache on 14 x 6 artist's board, signed in the lower right corner in white paint by Eyvind Earle. In fine condition, with tack holes to corners.
Legendary 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.
