A hand-inked and hand-painted limited edition cel titled "Casting the Spell" faithfully recreated from Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959). The Sleeping Beauty production took nearly a decade to complete, with Maleficent's animation supervised by Marc Davis, one of Walt's legendary "Nine Old Men." Davis infused the character with a graceful power and aristocratic elegance that became the gold standard for Disney villains. Her transformation from regal hostess to vengeful sorceress remains one of the most iconic sequences in the Disney canon. Walt Disney himself regarded Sleeping Beauty as one of the studio's crown jewels, describing it as "a moving illustration come to life".
This stunning image depicts Maleficent as she raises her staff and unleashes her fury upon King Stefan's court. The scene, Sequence 2, Scene 111, captures the exact moment she curses Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death".
Each cel was hand-inked over a master line drawing by a Disney inker and meticulously hand-painted with Disney-approved acrylic paints. The magnificent background was lithographically reproduced from original production artwork by the visionary stylist and colour designer Eyvind Earle, whose influence defined the film's striking medieval look. His layered geometric designs, deep jewel tones, and atmospheric lighting gave Sleeping Beauty its distinctive visual poetry and gothic, stylised aesthetic.
Released by Disney Art Editions in 1995, this edition was limited to only 350 pieces worldwide, each individually created by Disney's master inkers and painters using the same traditional methods employed during the making of the original film. This edition was created to preserve the heritage of hand-painted animation at a time when digital technology had begun to dominate the industry. This cel is numbered 211/350 and bears the official Walt Disney Studios seal, representing the artistry, patience, and precision that defined the Golden Age of animation. It comes in a black card mount, which exhibits some minor marks.
"Casting the Spell" stands as a masterpiece of Disney villainy and craftsmanship. Sold out upon release and now highly sought after, it remains one of the most striking limited editions from the Disney Fine Art Programme. Dimensions (mounted): 48 cm x 60 cm (19" x 23.5")
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