Over 1,600 lots sold over five days raised $5.2 million as a Disney sale became the most valuable ever animation art auction.
The Heritage Auction’s Art of Disney Signature Auction from August 7 to August 11 was a five day sale with decades-worth of Disney art, including some of the most iconic scenes from perhaps the greatest collection of animated films in history.
Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in 1940’s Fantasia, considered by many to be Disney’s greatest tour-de-force. This animation cel realised $30,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
More than 4,000 bidders had helped 100% of the items sell.
The Daniel Shak collection of 58 lots led the sale. Mr Shak is a hedge fun manager and poker player who assembled what Heritage called “a dazzling showcase of original Disney production art spanning the studio’s legendary Golden Age through its beloved Renaissance era.”
This included the most valuable item in the sale, the Gustaf Tenggren concept paintings for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, called Old Hag. It sold for $168,000.
Another Tenggren painting from the same movie showing Snow White with the Prince made $102,000.
A hand-painted original cel and key master background by Ron Dias from Beauty and the Beast (1992) made $38,400, the top modern piece in his collection.
“This result is nothing short of historic,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage’s vice-president of animation and anime art. “To see so many iconic works — from Gustaf Tenggren’s mythic brush to Eyvind Earle’s graphic splendor — resonate with collectors on this level reaffirms what we’ve long believed: that animation art is not just cherished, it’s revered. This auction proves once again that Disney’s creative legacy holds an unmatched place in the hearts of fans and connoisseurs worldwide.”
The Disney empire was born in 1923 in a small Burbank animation studio run by Roy and Walt, the Disney brothers.
Now, Disney is one of the world’s biggest entertainment brands, producing and selling content in every medium.
There is a huge, dedicated fandom for almost all parts of the Disney universe, from film art to memorabilia and theme park collectibles.
The most valuable Disney film art so far is a 1935 cel extracted from the first colour film to feature Mickey Mouse (who started out as Mortimer and in black and white). That sold for $420,000 in 1999.
Disney now creates in the digital realm, so this particular format of art may be consigned completely to the past.
