Inspiring Walt Disney: Snow White Queen Tote from The Met Museum

Our tote reproduces a celluloid (ca. 1937) featuring the conniving Queen from Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), published by Walt Disney Enterprises and housed at The Met. The iconic antagonist is said to have been modeled after the anonymous Naumburg Master’s (German, act. mid-13th century) statue of Uta von Ballenstedt-the 11th-century Margravine of Meissen-at Naumburg Cathedral in Germany. The Queen’s Romanesque castle and peacock throne are likewise influenced by the aesthetics of medieval Germany. This item was created in celebration of Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts. Presented alongside the 30th anniversary of the animated theatrical release of Beauty and the Beast (1991), the exhibition examines Walt Disney’s personal fascination with European decorative arts and design, and draws new parallels between Walt Disney Animation Studios’ enchanting creations and their artistic models, including Gothic Revival architecture, medieval design, and Rococo-inspired objects.