The Aristocats, Production background : The Haystack (1970)

Year: 1970

Film: The Aristocats Studio: Walt Disney

Artist: Al Dempster (Disney Legend Inductee, 1911–2001)

Artwork: Original production background, edited scene

Medium: Gouache on 16-field production board, with xerographic overlay

Background size: Approx. 40.6 × 30.5 cm (16-field standard)

Scene: Edgar discovers Napoleon and Lafayette asleep in the field

Annotation: "Out of Picture" - signed by Al Dempster in the lower left corner

Condition: Very Good - minor handling and edge wear consistent with production use

Custom Framing

Your frame is made to your taste: color, shape and finish are to be defined together after your order. Each frame is assembled with museum conservation materials (acid-free mat, UV-protective glass or plexiglass, etc.) to permanently protect your artwork.

About the Artwork

Before the camera rolled, it was the background that set the mood. Al Dempster (Disney Legend, veteran of Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book) painted this gouache background on 16-field production board for a scene in The Aristocats. The piece bears his handwritten signature and the annotation "Out of Picture", a routine production gesture at the time, and a coveted detail today. More than fifty years on, the raking light across the haystack hasn't aged a day.