An original production drawing of Mickey Mouse created during the making of Society Dog Show (1939), a standout short from Walt Disney's golden era. Directed by Bill Roberts and featuring animation by Fred Moore, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston, the film pairs Mickey and Pluto at a high-society canine competition that quickly descends into delightful chaos. It marks one of Mickey's most expressive performances of the decade and one of his last appearances in his classic pie-eyed design before the stylistic shift seen in the 1940s.
Society Dog Show represents a transitional moment for Mickey Mouse, bridging the rubber-hose elasticity of his early years with the more dimensional realism that would define Disney's 1940s style. The drawing's vitality and clarity exemplify the studio's maturing animation language, where every pose conveyed intent and emotion.
Drawn in graphite with red and blue pencil on 12-field animation paper, the image captures Mickey mid-motion, his body leaning into a confident gesture that conveys rhythm and personality. The sheet is marked "71" in the lower right corner. The visible red underdrawing and blue "arcs!!" notation are classic hallmarks of Disney's late-1930s clean-up process, revealing the animator's attention to movement, weight, and flow. The contour work is fluid and assured, combining Moore's rounded, appealing design with the precision of the studio's senior draftsmen. The paper exhibits some minor marks.
Drawings from this short are particularly sought after for their strong animation lineage and their connection to Fred Moore's definitive model of Mickey, which set the tone for decades of subsequent appearances. This example, with its confident linework and expressive charm, is an exceptional representation of Mickey's evolution at the height of Walt Disney's creative momentum. Dimensions: 25.5 cm x 30.5 cm (10" x 12")
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £800 - 1,600 Ω
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