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The Evil Queen and Uta von Ballenstedt: Medieval Inspiration Behind Disney’s Iconic Villain
Disney’s villainous Evil Queen in Snow White is based on a famous medieval sculpture of Uta von Ballenstedt
Jan 3, 20255 min read
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and Vincent van Gogh's post-impressionist paintings
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway reminds me of everyone’s favorite Post-impressionist Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh
Nov 11, 20245 min read
The Little Mermaid and Victorian artists: The Disney Princess Series
Did you know Ariel in The Little Mermaid is influenced by Victorian art?
Nov 8, 20242 min read
Epcot's Mexico Pavilion and the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico
Ever noticed the projecting serpent heads on the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot? They relate to Teotihuacan!
Nov 6, 20244 min read
Putting art history to work in the world!
How I put art history to work in the world
Sep 9, 20243 min read
Bark cloth (tapa) in Polynesia and Moana: The Disney Princess Series
Moana's clothing and her connections to bark cloth (tapa) in the Pacific Islands
Sep 3, 20242 min read
Fulfilling a lifelong dream writing about art history at Disneyland—and beyond!
Writing about art history at Disneyland has been a lifelong dream—and I am finally fulfilling it
Aug 26, 20244 min read
"it's a small world" and a nod to an important Irish icon
"it's a small world" at Disneyland includes an important Irish icon
Aug 20, 20247 min read
An ancient Maya king's tomb and the new Indiana Jones attraction at Animal Kingdom
How does the new Indiana Jones attraction at Animal Kingdom relate to ancient Maya king's tomb? Find out in this post about king Pakal's.
Aug 16, 20244 min read
Villains Land concept art and art history—Disney Imagineers' love of German Romanticism
Disney concept art for Villains Land concept art leans heavily on art history, specifically German Romanticism
Aug 15, 20244 min read
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Blue Boy—one of the most famous paintings in the world!
The portrait of Mr. Toad on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland was based on the most famous painting in the world.
Aug 12, 20243 min read
The Haunted Mansion and Greek Revival Architecture
This post focuses on the architecture that influenced Disneyland's Haunted Mansion exterior.
Aug 9, 20244 min read
Prince Eric's palace and the Château de Chillon in Switzerland
Did you know a famous castle in Switzerland inspired Prince Eric’s palace in The Little Mermaid?
Aug 6, 20242 min read
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and an adventure into art history
This post considers the historical art and architecture references in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) as a way to understand the film
Aug 5, 202412 min read
Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland and how it relates to art history
"Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America." Let's consider what this means!
Jul 24, 20245 min read
New series about Disney animation and Pixar films and art history!
Talking about how the idea was hatched for a blog series about Disney animation and Pixar films and art history!
Jul 19, 20243 min read
Pirates of the Caribbean, the Redheaded Pirate, and the Reclining Nude in Art
What does a painting of a sassy, partially nude, and probably inebriated red-headed pirate have to do with art history and Disneyland?
Jul 16, 20248 min read
Why I Became a Disneyland Art Historian
Focus on the hidden art references at Disneyland is an excellent way to get people excited about art history.
Jun 26, 20246 min read
Destroying the Mona Lisa at Disneyland—Pinocchio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Marcel Duchamp
Exploring how Pinocchio's Daring Journey at Disneyland, Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, and modernist artist Marcel Duchamp fit togeth
Jun 19, 20246 min read
Disneyland (Art) History
I want to put my art historian sleuthing skills to work at one of the happiest places on Earth, searching for all the specific artistic and
Apr 30, 20242 min read
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