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An exceptional original production drawing from Alpine Climbers (1936), capturing one of the most kinetic and humorous moments of early Donald Duck animation. Donald, full of bluster and indignation, faces off against a furious mother eagle who has caught him tampering with her nest.
This sequence from Alpine Climbers, directed by David Hand, demonstrates the precision and humour that defined Disney's early Technicolor era. Every line feels alive with intent: Donald's raised wings and squawking beak are drawn with rhythmic exaggeration, while the eagle's descending form is constructed with remarkable anatomical control, the wing sweep echoing the momentum of the action. The delicate yellow stars, a technical notation used to indicate animated "impact" or bursts of light, remain visible on the original sheet, a charming and historically significant trace of the production process. The energy between the two characters is perfectly composed within a single sheet, a rarity for the period.
Having both characters, their contact points, and their secondary effects drawn together on a single sheet indicates that this was a key animation drawing used to guide timing and interaction between layers. Typically, animators separated figures onto different cels or papers for clarity, so a unified sheet like this suggests it was created by a senior artist responsible for coordinating motion before inking and cleanup. This makes the piece exceptionally rare and likely one of the key extremes in the scene.
The animation is executed in graphite and colour pencil on a 12-field, five-peghole sheet, with Donald and the eagle both rendered in full figure, an unusual and highly desirable feature. The sheet is numbered "101" at lower right and initialled "C.B.", which stands for either Carl Barks (creator of Scrooge McDuck) or Charles Byrne (one of Walt Disney's core animators during the mid-1930s). Considering its age, the drawing remains in outstanding condition with only minor wear in the top right corner and some discolouration around the edges.
As a work of draughtsmanship, it exemplifies the best of the studio's pre-war animation: spontaneous, perfectly balanced, and full of character. Donald's expressive frustration and the eagle's fierce defence come together in a visual ballet that demonstrates why the short is still celebrated as one of Donald's earliest comedic triumphs. A beautiful, complete example of early Disney production art, highly collectable, full of personality, and a superb representation of 1930s animation mastery. Dimensions: 25.5 cm x 30.5 cm (10" x 12")
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £1,200 - 2,400 Ω
View all lots from ALPINE CLIMBERS (1936)