Description:

Walt Disney
n.p., n.d.
Spectacular Walt Disney Signed Minnie Mouse "Courvoisier" Cel
Signed art
A superb Disney item: an original Guthrie Courvoisier animation cel of one of his most beloved creations, Minnie Mouse, from a scene from the 1952 cartoon "Pluto's Christmas Party." The cel, measuring 8.25" in diameter, shows a delighted Minnie against a tan and blue backdrop. Inset into a cream "Courvoisier" mat measuring 13" x 15" (sight), which is very boldly inscribed and signed in brown indelible pencil by the animation master himself. In full: "To George Browder with best wishes Walt Disney." Handsomely presented in a wood frame to dimensions of 15.5" x 16.5" and in very fine condition, the paint displaying light crazing, not obtrusive. Frame bears light scratching and wear, consistent with age.

On verso is a label from the Walt Disney studios, stating that this cel is "…an original painting on celluloid used in the production of ‘Pluto's Christmas Party'". The text further explains the process by which cels are used to produce animated stories.

We proudly offer in this sale a similar Courvoisier cel of Minnie's beau Mickey, which would make a wonderful display together!

In 1938 and anxious to secure his reputation as a niche art dealer in San Francisco, Guthrie Courvoisier turned to a new man in the art scene with a new artistic medium to match: Walt Disney. The tens of thousands of hand-painted animation "cels" used in each Disney feature were usually discarded after production, but Courvoisier considered these renderings to be the beautiful and subtle works of true artists, and thus sought to market them to art collectors and museums. Courvoisier approached Disney with the idea, and Disney granted Courvoisier exclusive rights to sell the cels.

Courvoisier then created his own exclusive "Courvoisier" mat, which displayed the cell in a circular cut-out at the middle, with delicately penned text on the mat around it identifying the character. To the right of the cel, he added an elegant stamped logo on the mat reading "original W[alt] D[isney] P[roductions]."

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was a beloved American artist, film producer and businessman, creator of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, producer of the first animated film with sound, and builder of immensely popular theme parks in Anaheim and Orlando.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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    Dimensions:
  • 15.5" x 16.5"
  • Artist Name:
  • Walt Disney
  • Medium:
  • Signed art

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Shipping

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Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

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June 26, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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