Then about two months ago Leslie Combemale from ArtInsights contacted me and showed me this cel, which I still wanted. I had a bit more money, but not quite enough, so Leslie made a deal with me and I paid $1000 up front and the rest ($695) within a month.
Anyway, the cel:
A beautiful, emotional expression on her face and a full body! Also, the lighting of the scene gives her a greeny-blue tail instead of an outright green tail, which I like!
The quirky thing about this cel setup is that the cels do not actually go together (i.e. Not a key setup). If you break down the cels into their original frames you get three separate images:
1. Flotsam and Jetsam
2. Ariel
3. Bubbles
As you can see, Ariel and the eels aren't supposed to have quite as much crossover. Of course, in such a mismatched setup, Ariel gets full priority and is placed on top of Flotsam and Jetsam, despite them actually being on top of her during the film. As for the bubbles, they were made by her tail. I'm thinking I may shift the bubble layer back behind Ariel so that they don't occupy her face.
Being mismatched, I'm not sure how this affects the value. $1695 is far better than $2300, which is how much this cel was offered by Animation Sensations (a.k.a Georgetown Frame Shoppe). Incidentally, they still have it on their site marked as "SOLD", as if they were the ones who sold it. Don't believe it!
This piece cost $US1695. Photographic background. Unframed. The authentication seal is in the bottom-right corner.
Great cel! Never seen this one before :D my collection can be found here : http://mg.rubberslug.com/gallery/master_query.asp?SeriesID=37555
ReplyDeleteI have come across some Little Mermaid cels from an auction. They are framed but without background (just the clear sheet with 3 holes, one bigger than the rest). Anyway, i am trying to find more information about them. Any recommendations on who I can contact to get more information? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi. Sorry for the late reply; I hope it's not too late to help you.
DeleteThe first thing is to look for a seal. All of my cels have seals in a corner of the piece (not all are visible from the shots posted). If they have a seal, then they're authentic.
It's important to note whether the cel is an actual production cel or a reproduction cel. If the latter, the number and edition should be written near the bottom.
You must be able to place the cel as a frame (or several, as is the case with this piece) in the movie.
A COA is not necessary, as they can be moved between pieces, but is still good to have.
Very few cels escaped getting a seal while leaving Disney unless they were stolen. If the piece does not have a seal, it has to have come from an animator and come with a special certificate from Disney releasing it from the studio to that animator. I have seen cels where the seller says "Oh yes, it came from someone who worked on the film, so you know it's authentic." This means it's authentic, not legal. In those cases, they are most likely stolen. Just because someone worked on the film or at the studio, doesn't mean they had the right to take the piece from there.
As for who you can contact: to get information on the piece, contact the seller or the auction company. If they can't answer your questions, it may not be safe. If you want to ask about what questions to ask or what to look for, I always recommend Leslie Combemale from ArtInsights; she gets very serious about this sort of thing. You can call the gallery on 703 478 0778 or email her. Trust me, she doesn't bite!
I hope this helps!
Regards,
Mitchell.
I forgot to mention the other exception to not having a seal: if it was in the December 1990 Sotheby's The Little Mermaid Auction. I have seen many of these cels up for sale recently and none of them have a seal. Their provenance is established primarily from appearing in the catalogue from that auction, of which many copies are available. In this case, the cel should be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Sotheby's with the date and theme of the auction. Most are further distinct by coming with their original, hand-painted, watercolour background.
ReplyDeleteEven though this places a certain reliability on these cels as being legitimate, you should still take caution. I know of at least one setup from that auction where the cel was separated from its background and the two items sold separately by a private dealer. Try to make sure you know where the cel has been. Seals are generally safe bets, but if a Sotheby's piece comes with everything (watercolour background, COA and can be traced to the auction catalogue) you should be fine.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your blog - cool cels and a great source of information on the hobby of collecting animated art. I'm an animator myself and it's great to see the legacy of cel animation being promoted.
Quick question RE: your cels with reproduction backgrounds - are any of the backgrounds in your collection particularly low quality? I ask because I recently purchased a Little Mermaid" cel which came on a photo-repro background, and while the cel is excellent, the background has color variation and printer track marks and is printed on a semigloss stock paper. Very curious if in your extensive experience with these cels there are any other examples of this type of thing.
Also, do you have any cels with original backgrounds? I understand they're watercolor and would probably be done on rag with a very matte finish.
Hi. I'm not sure if I replied to this comment; it was buried in a past post. None of my pieces so far have original backgrounds. Th only backgrounds I have a reproductions. Original backgrounds are watercolour, but I've never had the chance to examine one myself.
DeleteAll reproduction backgrounds that I have came from the Disney art program. The background you've described to me sounds like it was done either by a gallery or a collector without the proper equipment. I'd be a little careful: depending on the quality of the paper, the printed background can be doing the cel harm. if the paper for the background print is not acid free and archival quality, then it will contribute to cel degradation.