Disney's Original Art in Club 33

I recently had the opportunity to spend an afternoon in Disneyland's exclusive Club 33 restaurant. Aside from the amazing decor, 5 star food and the mystique of pushing the buzzer on the unmarked green door, what really struck me was Disney's collection of original art hanging throughout the interior.

Brief History

According to the inset of the Club 33 menu, the restaurant was envisioned by Walt Disney to be an escape reality, a place where VIPs and visiting dignitaries could enjoy a quiet, luxurious meal away from the hubbub of the park. Along with his wife and famous interior decorator Emil Kuri, Disney traveled to New Orleans to pick out the restaurant's decor. They came back with stunning antiques, furniture and artwork. For a more detailed history of the club, check out Disneyland Club 33.

Club 33's Art

In addition to the many treasures Disney brought back from New Orleans, visitors can find original works of art scattered throughout the restaurant. Disney Imagineers, animators and concept artists provided stunning images that add to the mystique of the exclusive club.

The first pieces of original Disney concept art that caught my eye were of the costumes from Mary Poppins.

These two sketches were hanging with several other pieces depicting characters from the movie. They were also near a table from the actual Mary Poppins set.

I couldn't be completely sure without a closer look, but it looked like both of these paintings were done in water color. I absolutely love the simplicity of the them, using the same basic colors of blue, red, white. Very patriotic and by far some of my favorite costumes from the movie. They, like the rest of Club 33, remind me of an escape from everyday life to a time and place of carefree leisure.

As you continue to walk through the restaurant you happen across other remarkable sketches and paintings, including this gorgeous water-color painting of Cinderella's castle.

And of course, how could I not mention the original sketches of the pirates, ships and the concept art from my favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was amazing to see the original sketches that went behind the Pirates ride. The imagination had the start from somewhere and what they did on paper really shines through on the ride. The sketches have incredible detail and look as if they were ripped from the pages of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel.

There are dozens of other pieces of work covering the walls of Club 33 but my battery died before I could capture them all. I outreached to Disney to receive additional information about the pieces described above, as well as the others that I couldn't include, but according to their representative they could not provide background as the artwork is switched out frequently. Maybe someday I can go back and get everything I missed. Or, if you've got your own photos or done research about the artwork, please share with me so that I can add to this post.

Overall, the experience at Club 33 is unforgettable, but the unique original artwork is what really stays with me. I can't help but think that only a few people in the world have actually seen these drawings and paintings.

Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibit Coming to the Getty Museum

The first time I ever saw an actual Da Vinci piece of art in person was last year when I went to Florence. I saw Adoration of the Magi and Annunciation at the Uffizi gallery and was blown away. They were my favorite out of his collections at the Uffizi and even bought a print of Annunciation to take home with me.

Annunciation
According to VirtualUffizi.com this painting came from the church of San Bartolomeo at Monteoliveto; painted around 1472 when Leonardo was still in Verrocchio's workshop. At the Uffizi since 1867.

[image from www.leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com]


Adoration of the Magi
According to VirtualUffizi.com this painting was commissioned by the monks of San Donato at Scoperto in 1481, it was left unfinished when Leonardo set off for Milan. As the Uffizi since 1670.

[image from http://arthistory.about.com/]

Little did I know that I only had to wait a few more months to see his art at the Getty Center!

The exhibition is going to focus mostly on his sculpture work, so you won't be able to see some of his more famous paintings. But I'm really interested in seeing some of his concept illustrations and sketches since there are no actual sculptures that can be proven to be Da Vinci's. However, the exhibition will feature several Rustici sculptures - Rustici spent a lot of time studying with Da Vinci and, according to the Getty, "because of their collaborations and similar aesthetic, Rustici's work is considered the best echo of Leonardo's lost activity as a sculptor."

The exhibition begins this weekend and goes through the summer (March 23 - June 20). For more information on this exhibition check out the Getty's website at http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/leonardo/.