Art — Blog — Emma Unscripted

In AP psychology this past year, I learned about “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon, which is exactly what the name implies. It is that sensation where you know something, it’s on the tip of the tongue, but you can’t remember the name. And often, the frustration of forgetfulness stings even more when someone else is able to enumerate what you could not in time. Well, today, I had a sort of “tip-of-the-tongue” moment; not in the sense of me forgetting information, but that someone, in this case the Met, was able to say it to a big audience before I could.

Like most young girls, I had a deep obsession with the Disney princess catalogue. And although Disney princesses and their role in the lives of young girls has been challenged in recent years, I cannot pretend that watching the films, collecting the figurines, Barbies, and costumes, and making my mother wait in line for four hours to “meet” the princesses at Disneyland (a story for another time) was not a formative part of my childhood.

My love for Disney princesses has evolved since my tiara-wearing days, and in recent years I have come to recognize new, more sophisticated aspects of the animated worlds these princesses inhabit. More precisely, I have become fascinated with learning about how the animation styles in Disney princess films were influenced by historical art and architecture styles. And, to go back to my original point, it seems as though the Metropolitan Museum of Art also is fascinated by this, explaining my frustrations.

As I was planning for a trip into the city with my mom, I was searching the websites of various museums and art galleries to see which exhibits were worth visiting. And what do I find on the Met’s website? A page detailing their upcoming exhibit, “Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts.” The exhibit, which will be on display at the Met from December 2021 to March 2022, traces the animation of Disney classics such as Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959) back to Rococo designs and Medieval architecture.

My jealousy towards the Met for not being able to curate this incredible exhibit myself aside, I am beyond excited to go see in person what they put together. As a kid, I was paying attention to the princess, the prince, the cute animals, and the wicked stepmothers. But now when I watch, it is amazing to see the structuring of the palaces, stitchings on the gowns, and patterns on the furniture and wallpaper. This animated production design is still breathtaking, and the attention to historical detail in the art is something I will never get enough of.

So if anyone reading this also happens to check out the exhibit, enjoy! But just remember, if you hear anyone talking about Rococo or Art Deco as it pertains to Disney, just know: I’ve been saying this