Rare Disney Artwork From Gustaf Tenggren, Mary Blair, Carl Barks, And More Sells For $3.4 Million

Original concept paintings by Gustaf Tenggren from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs headlined Heritage Auctions’ latest major sale of Disney artwork, which also featured incredible artifacts from fellow Disney Legends Carl Barks, Mary Blair, Joe Ranft, and more.

The three-day Art of Disney Signature Auction, held August 21-23, generated $3.43 million from 1,346 lots.

Tenggren’s atmospheric painting of Snow White listening as the Prince sings “One Song” was the auction’s top-selling lot, fetching $85,400. A panoramic painting of six dwarfs returning home sold for $41,480, while his image of the Prince on horseback brought $36,600.

“This auction delivered strong results for Disney art from the studio’s Golden Age through the Disney Renaissance and into the films of the 2000s,” said Jim Lentz, Heritage’s vice president of animation and anime art. “The response reflects the global affection for Disney and the growing appreciation for animation art as a significant art form.”

Other highlights included:

• Carl Barks’ First National Bank of Cibola preliminary painting, featuring Uncle Scrooge and his nephews, which sold for $36,600.
• A first printing of Disneyland’s 1956 Rocket to the Moon attraction poster, which realized $34,160.
• Mary Blair’s concept painting for the Japan section of “It’s a Small World,” which reached $31,720.
• Blair’s concept and color-key painting of the tea party from Alice in Wonderland, which sold for $29,280.
• Joe Ranft’s posthumously presented Disney Legend Award and pin, which brought $31,720.

The sale also included plenty of material from Disney’s more recent animation history. An employee-exclusive limited-edition cel featuring Scar and young Simba from The Lion King sold for $4,880, while a sequence of 41 storyboards from Woody’s nightmare in Toy Story 2, drawn and used during the film’s development, brought $3,660.

The latter came from the Joe Ranft Family Archive, which included storyboards and concept art from Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., and Cars, as well as bronze Woody and Buzz sculptures by Ranft’s brother Jerome, presented to the artist’s family in recognition of his contributions to Pixar.