Film
Revolutionary and ambitious, made in mixed technique between animation and live action, in which music and image come together in perfect synergy. Fantasia was released in cinemas the same year as Pinocchio, yet many children categorically refused to see a musical film divided into eight episodes accompanied by classical pieces played by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted for the occasion by Leopold Stokowski. In short, not exactly the idea of entertainment for its target audience. An anomalous project right from its creative process: it is not the transposition of some fairy tale as it had been for Snow White or Pinocchio, but a translation of Stokowski's music into images. In fact, Walt Disney's idea was the same as that of the Austro-Hungarian painter Frank Kupka, i.e. to translate music into images as in the great 1936 exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in New York entitled Cubism and Abstract Art. Drawing inspiration from this experience, Disney chose abstract art as the main source of inspiration for the animation of his film, thanks also to the valuable collaboration of the artist and animator Oskar Wilhelm Fischinger. It should also not be forgotten that Mickey's modern design was specially conceived for the episode The Sorcerer's Apprentice in which he is the protagonist.
Art
The nature of this project is clear right from its title, which was initially intended to be Concert Feature, but was later ousted by the Italian word Fantasia (from the Greek phantasia, which literally means 'representation'). Thus, with musical commentary by Leopold Stokowski, what we are witnessing is a pure representation of music through abstract images. Through this marvellous experiment, bordering on a conceptual work of art, Disney immerses us in the unnatural hues of landscapes that are so reminiscent of those of the Nabis: examples are Paul Ranson's Nabi Landscape (1890) or Paul Sérusier's Women at the Spring (1899), now in the Musée d'Orsay. Or landscapes similar to those of William Turner, which take us straight to the Cleveland Museum of Art where his Fire in the House of Lords and Commons is kept, a painting recalled by the scene of the erupting volcano: here the colours fade on the screen, dynamic and nervous, a bit like the British artist's brushstrokes. Typically curved lines, textural and enveloping, but less dynamic than those of Giacomo Balla and other Futurist artists echoing among the notes of the first episode.
In the segment dedicated to the Nutcracker, there are also references to the figures of Vasily Kandinsky, who in those years was continuing to revolutionise the figurative language with his Blue Sky (1940) conserved at the Pompidou Centre, or his Circles (1926) at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. In the same fragment we can recognise in the fluttering fairies the blue atmospheres of Marc Chagall, almost catching a glimpse of his Bouquet of Flowers (1934-1947), which from the Tate Modern in London is tele-transported to our screen. Fairies hovering between the lines of the cobwebs create a composition reminiscent of the stained glass windows with their ever-blue atmospheres that cannot help but remind us of Chagal's Stained Glass Window at the Chicago Art Institute. Blue that culminates with the Sorcerer's Apprentice and its luminous stars, which hovering over the sea bring to our eyes Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night on the Rhone (1888), now in the Musée d'Orsay.
Although today it seems almost taken for granted to witness luminous and iconic interpretations of sounds, back then, in 1940, it was absolutely revolutionary to interpret classical melodies such as Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor in this way.
Artworks
An oil painting by the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night on the Rhone (1888) depicts the stretch of the French river at Arles under a starry night sky. It is noteworthy that Van Gogh created the work outdoors, at night, trying to capture the feeling of peace and serenity he felt at that moment in front of the lights of the city and the bridges reflecting on the water, creating that wonderful effect that the stars of the Animated Classic seem to imitate under the command of Mickey Mouse in the episode The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Today it is considered one of the Dutch artist's masterpieces and one of his most famous works because of its combination of bright, intense colours and the impasto painting technique used by the artist, which created an irregular, three-dimensional surface.
Created in 1926, Several Circles is an example of Vasilij Kandinsky's abstract geometric period, in which he sought to represent the spiritual essence of art through geometric shapes and vivid colours. A work in which Kandinsky expounds his theory on the harmony between shapes and colours, it consists of a series of overlapping circles, each of a different colour, creating an effect of depth and three-dimensionality. Like the drops in Fantasia that scatter in the water as the fairies pass by, for example, the circles seem to float in space with colours blending together to create new shades and tones. Kandinsky also uses black and white lines to separate the circles and create a graphic structure for the work. This is an example of how Kandinsky sought to create abstract art that could convey emotions and feelings through the use of colour and form, rather than representing real objects or figures.
Also by the Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky, but this time kept at the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou in Paris. Bleu de Ciel is a painting dating from 1940, in Kandinsky's late period in which he focused on organic forms and natural inspirations, such as the sky. The work presents a composition composed of a series of organic shapes, such as waves and clouds, that seem to float in an undefined space. The colour blue is predominant in the work and Kandinsky uses it in different shades to create an effect of depth and movement. The shapes seem to emerge from the blue background and create a feeling of lightness and fluidity. It is considered an example of Kandinsky's interest in abstract art and spiritual art, which he saw as a means to reach a higher dimension of reality. The work is an example of how the artist sought to create art that could express his vision of the world, rather than representing real objects or figures.
Giacomo Balla - Linee di velocità, Vortice e cielo | Private collection
Lines of Speed, Vortex and Sky is a painting by Italian artist Giacomo Balla, part of his 'Lines of Speed' series of paintings, made between 1913 and 1914. Balla was an important representative of the Futurist movement in Italy, and this series represents his vision of art as a means to represent the dynamism and speed of modern life. The lines seem to float and vibrate against the background, creating an effect of movement and speed.
Bouquet with Flying Lovers is a painting by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall, held at the Tate Modern in London. Created in 1934, the work presents a bouquet of flowers in the centre of the painting, surrounded by a series of figures that appear to be floating in flight. The figures, depicted in vivid and imaginative colours, seem almost transparent and blend in with the background, creating a work with dreamlike and surreal tones that reminds us of Fantasia with its Nutcracker. An example of Chagall's interest in fantasy and imagination, reflecting his vision of the world as a place full of magic and wonder.
The Chagall Window is a large window created by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall, located in the Art Institute of Chicago. The window, measuring approximately 7.6 metres wide and 2.4 metres high, was created by Chagall in 1977 to celebrate the Institute's centennial. The window represents one of Chagall's most significant works, and is considered one of the largest stained glass windows in the world due to its use of bright, vivid colours that create an effect of light and transparency. 'The Chagall Window' is considered one of Chagall's most important works, and represents a unique fusion of art and spirituality. The work has been admired by thousands of visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago, and has been described as a transcendental and spiritual experience by many art critics.
Paul Ranson - Nabi Landscape | Private collection
Nabi Landscape is a painting by French painter Paul Ranson, made in the late 19th century and held in a private collection. Paul Ranson was one of the founding members of the Nabis, a group of French artists who formed in 1888 with the aim of creating modern and experimental art. This painting represents an example of the artistic style that characterised the movement, which was distinguished by the use of bright colours, stylised forms and a strong focus on light and atmosphere. The painting presents a country scene with a landscape stretching towards the horizon, depicted in a stylised manner, with bright colours and flat backgrounds creating an effect of abstraction and simplification of reality. The light and atmosphere, on the other hand, give the scene an aura of mystery and spirituality, as well as their desire to create modern and experimental art. The painting was acquired from a private collection, but represents an important testimony to the art of the Nabis movement and French modern art of the late 19th century.
Painted by the English artist William Turner in 1835 after the fire that destroyed the Palace of Westminster the previous year, today The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons is kept at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio. Turner witnessed the fire and executed the painting in detail, using an evocative painting technique that emphasises the dramatic and apocalyptic atmosphere of the event. The painting is characterised by a strong contrast between the fire and the darkness of the night sky. The fire spreads spectacularly, illuminating the entire scene and reflecting on the water of the Thames, which flows in the foreground of the painting. The depiction of the fire is made even more dramatic by the presence of human figures, looking out of the windows of the burning Palace of Westminster and onto boats sailing on the river. Considered one of Turner's masterpieces and one of the most iconic paintings of his output, the painting represents the beginning of a new period in his career, in which he increasingly focused on depicting landscapes and historical events, using innovative and experimental techniques. The painting is an important testimony to British history and Turner's great artistic ability to capture the essence of a tragic and significant event.
Femmes à la source is a painting by French artist Paul Sérusier, made in 1899 and kept at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The painting depicts three women in traditional costume standing beside a spring in a hilly landscape dominated by trees and vegetation. The painting is characterised by an intense and vibrant colour rendering, approaching Symbolism and Expressionism. Like Ranson, Paul Sérusier was an important exponent of the Nabis art movement, a group of French artists active at the end of the 19th century who sought to express a more spiritual and symbolic art inspired by the principles of Japanese art and medieval art. In the painting in question, Sérusier uses a painting technique involving the use of flat, separate colours to create a feeling of purity and simplicity. The choice of colours and the composition of the figures and landscape are influenced by the theories of Paul Gauguin, who had lived in Tahiti and experimented with intense colours and simplified forms. 'Femmes à la source' is an emblematic work from the transitional period of Sérusier's career as he moved closer and closer to experimentation and formal innovation. The painting also represents a synthesis of the ideals of the Nabis movement and their search for a representation of art based on the synthesis of matter and spirit.
Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge is a painting by the English artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, painted in 1872-1875. The painting depicts the old Battersea Bridge, located on the Thames in London, illuminated by night light. The painting features a blue, green and gold colour palette with fine lines and a shaded composition. The work represents one of the earliest examples of Impressionist painting in England, and was one of Whistler's first paintings to be titled 'nocturne', a term the artist used to describe his nocturnal works that sought to capture the atmosphere and emotion of the landscape at night. The painting caused a great scandal when it was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1877, due to its apparent lack of detail and realistic depiction of the subject. Whistler defended his work by stating that the painting was a pure work of art and that the subject was merely a pretext to explore the possibilities of painting.
Caspar David Friederich- Il sognatore (Rovine del monastero di Oybin) | The State Ermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg)
The Dreamer is an 1835 painting by German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich. It depicts a man falling asleep in the ruins of the monastery of Oybin, located in the mountains of Saxony in Germany. The painting is characterised by a mystical and melancholic atmosphere, with a dark colour palette and a focus on light and shadow. The sleeping man represents the contemplative aspect of humanity, while the ruins of the monastery symbolise the transience of human existence and the fleeting nature of time. 'The Dreamer' is considered one of the most representative paintings by Friedrich, who often depicted nature as a symbol of the infinite and spirituality. The painting also refers to the German Romantic tradition of 'Sehnsucht', or the nostalgic longing for an ideal and perfect world. The work is kept at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is one of the treasures of the museum's collection of 19th century German painting.
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