Art-full members are invited to join us on Saturday March 5th when we dive into the world of the French Decorative arts — and Disney — with Janelle Diethelm of the Curious Art Historian.
The Inspiring Walt Disney exhibit at the Met examines Disney’s personal fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in his films and theme parks, drawing new parallels between the studios’ magical creations and their artistic models. “Pink castles, talking sofas, and objects coming to life: what sounds like fantasies from the pioneering animation of Walt Disney Animation Studios were in fact the figments of the colorful salons of Rococo Paris,” according to the Met.
In order to help us navigate and more fully understand this lush exhibit, we’ll have Janelle Diethelm, Founder of the Curious Art Historian, to prep us for our self-guided viewing — over a delicious French brunch at Jacques Brasserie.
We will meet first for the brunch & art talk at 11:30am, followed by a 2pm visit to the museum. Option to continue our deep dive into French food & culture with coffee & dessert at Laduree Madison after the Met visit (approx. 15 minute walk).
All tickets include the art talk & brunch (brunch includes 1 brunch entree, 1 non-alcoholic beverage, tax & tip). Full experience tickets also include 2pm full-price reserved entry to the Met.
Art talk/brunch only tickets are designed for those who are members of the Met or NY State residents who prefer to pay what they wish upon entrance to the museum.
Important note: While the Met is ‘pay what you wish’ for NY state residents, no advance reservations are allowed for this option, and there may be a line to obtain tickets upon arrival. We will not be able to wait for those choosing this option, but you will be able to re-join us inside the exhibit.
Brunch & talk only: $45 through 2/19; $48 thereafter (for those with a Met membership)
Full experience with reserved museum admission: $70 through 2/19; $75 thereafter
Group will be limited to 12 people. In compliance with the New York City mandate, all attendees are required to show 1) proof that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2) a valid I.D.
Full Schedule:
11:30 am | Brunch & art talk at Jacques*
Jacques Brasserie | 206 East 85th St. at 3rd Ave.
2 pm | Self-guided visit at the Met**
1246 Madison Ave.
3:30pm | Option for coffee & dessert at Laduree Madison (not included in ticket price)
864 Madison Ave. btw. 70th & 71st.
*Brunch includes any ONE item under le petit dejeuner, les hors d’oeuvres, les sandwiches, les salades or les moules frites (OR 2 items adding up to $28 or less) + 1 non-alcoholic beverage, tax & tip. Any other food & drink can be ordered and paid separately on site. See full menu here.
** Important note: While the Met is ‘pay what you wish’ for NY state residents, no advance reservations are allowed for this option, and there may be a line to obtain pay what you wish tickets upon arrival. We will not be able to wait for those choosing the pay what you wish option, but you can re-join us inside the exhibit.
More about the exhibit:
Sixty works of 18th-century European decorative arts and design—from tapestries and furniture to Boulle clocks and Sèvres porcelain—are featured alongside 150 production artworks and works on paper from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Imagineering Collection, and The Walt Disney Family Museum. Selected film footage illustrating the extraordinary technological and artistic developments of the studio during Disney’s lifetime and beyond will also be shown.
The exhibition will highlight references to European visual culture in Disney animated films, including nods to Gothic Revival architecture in Cinderella(1950), medieval influences on Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Rococo-inspired objects brought to life in Beauty and the Beast (1991). The exhibition also marks the 30th anniversary of the animated theatrical release of Beauty and the Beast.
Janelle Diethelm is the Founder of the Curious Art Historian, a free online resource where anyone can learn about art history. She holds a Master's in the History & Business of Art & Collecting from the University of Warwick and has worked at well-known art institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Christie's. She has a side gig as a Web Designer and a passion for sharing her knowledge of the art world with others. She has previously given talks for us before our recent visits to the Frick Collection and the Cloisters and was the featured speaker at our Art Market 101 online talk.