DALLAS, TX.- Over five days and more than 1,600 lots, both the legacy and astonishing vision of Walt Disney proved themselves many times over with Heritage Auctions’ August 7-11 The Art of Disney Signature® Auction, as its $5.19 million total lands the title of most successful Animation Art auction in history. The success of the event means that Heritage now holds the records for the six highest-grossing Animation Art auctions in the entire industry. The auction topped the last record broken by Heritage with its summer 2023 $4.87 million event that celebrated a century of Disney.

“This result is nothing short of historic,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage’s Vice President of Animation and Anime Art. “To see so many iconic works — from Gustaf Tenggren’s mythic brush to Eyvind Earle’s graphic splendor — resonate with collectors on this level reaffirms what we’ve long believed: that animation art is not just cherished, it’s revered. This auction proves once again that Disney’s creative legacy holds an unmatched place in the hearts of fans and connoisseurs worldwide.”

Heritage’s dominance in the category has been undisputed in recent years, as it has also broken the records for most successful Anime Art auctions. The 2024 totals for Animation and Anime at Heritage led to a staggering $16 million.

August 7-11 was a thrilling five days at the block, with a 100% sell-through rate and more than 4,000 bidders, as significant works from Walt’s favorite animators and artists drove the sessions. The auction was led by the Daniel Shak Platinum Collection — Heritage’s first Platinum Animation Art auction day, which brought just over $1 million over only 58 lots.

And what lots they were, as Mr. Shak’s collection presented a dazzling showcase of original Disney production art spanning the studio’s legendary Golden Age through its beloved Renaissance era, and brimmed with rare animation treasures: hand-painted cels, enchanting concept art and behind-the-scenes drawings from iconic films. His collection claimed the top 10 spots in the event, and leading the charge were two lots by the great Gustaf Tenggren: His concept painting for 1937’s feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which captures the chilling moment the Old Hag conjures the poison apple, realized $168,000, and his concept painting from the same movie immortalizing Snow White’s enchanted slumber and fateful kiss brought $102,000.

Next up from the Shak Collection was a Cinderella hand-inked production cel setup, signed by Walt Disney, featuring a transformed Cinderella admiring her Fairy Godmother’s wandwork (bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!), which sold for $72,000, as well as two distinctly stylized masterpieces by Eyvind Earle: His signed concept painting of Prince Phillip and Maleficent as a Dragon from the 1959 feature Sleeping Beauty sold for $52,800, and his crisp and moody concept painting of the forest in Sleeping Beauty realized $50,400.

Mr. Shak’s collecting acumen continued to shine in the top-sellers strata: An Alice in Wonderland (1951) production cel with Master background featuring Alice and the Cheshire Cat sold for $45,600, and an Alice in Wonderland production cel showcasing Alice with a flora-filled Master background sold for $37,200. A Peter Pan (1953) production cel with Master background showcasing the iconic Tinker Bell sold for $38,400. Jump ahead to Disney’s Renaissance with a magnificent hand-painted published original cel and Key Master background by Ron Dias for 1992’s Beauty and the Beast, which also realized $38,400. The Jungle Book (1967), a key film from Disney’s Bronze Age, was represented in the auction by a production cel set up with Master background featuring none other than Mowgli and Baloo and sold for $36,000.

Aside from the Shak Platinum winners were other gems from Disney’s history: a concept painting by John Hench for 1950’s Cinderella featuring Prince Charming and Cinderella on the balcony sold for $36,000, and a cover illustration by Eyvind Earle for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Big Golden Book also brought $36,000.

It’s no surprise that the Andreas Deja Collection was a strong driver of the auction, given that Deja himself is one of Disney’s most celebrated artists (he gave us the Renaissance era’s greatest villains, including Scar, Jafar and Vanessa), and his collecting reach is unbeatable. As a chronicler and champion of Disney’s animation history, it’s no surprise that highlights from his collection have included such treasures as this hand-inked “Belle Notte” production cel from 1955’s Lady and the Tramp, which presents the most charming moment in the movie. It sold for $36,000.

All-time Disney favorite artist Mary Blair is always a VIP of Heritage’s Disney auctions, and here her concept/color key painting for It’s a Small World sold for $31,200, and her concept painting of Alice and the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland sold for $31,200.

“This extraordinary auction showcased the very best of Disney — from the bold visionaries who shaped the studio’s golden eras to the passionate collectors who preserve that legacy,” Lentz says. “Our team is proud to set a new high watermark for the field, and we remain committed to elevating animation art as one of the most dynamic and beloved categories in the market today.”