“Now father, you’re living in the past. This is the 14th century!” - Prince Phillip (Sleeping Beauty, 1959). The visual and narrative elements of medieval manuscripts often influenced how Disney artists conceived animated fairy tales. Eyvind Earle’s concept art for “Sleeping Beauty”, with its castle, fluttering banners, and procession of courtly ladies, takes inspiration from 15th-century illuminations. The second image depicts a scene of Saint George as a knight slaying a dragon, from an actual 15th-century manuscript. It also features bright colors, flowing foliage, a lady being saved, and a towering castle. By incorporating elements such as these, artists like Eyvind Earle give tales like “Sleeping Beauty” a sense of timelessness through their medieval-inspired designs. View these artworks in “The Fantasy of the Middle Ages” through September 11 at the Getty Center. Images: Concept Art, 1958, American. Hilbert Collection, Image: Chapman University, The Hilbert Collection © Disne...