Fantasia: Nutcracker Suite, Milkweed Ballerinas 1937 - 1938

Jules Engel's "Fantasia: Nutcracker Suite, Milkweed Ballerinas" is a sketch on paper, likely created with colored pencils or crayons. It’s a study for animation, and the dimensions suggest it was made as part of a larger industrial process. Engel worked at Disney for a time, so this drawing represents the labor of animation, a field that merges the hand-made and the mechanically produced. It shows the ways in which teams of artists work together to make large-scale artworks under specific time constraints. The image is made of simple outlines and geometric patterns, reminiscent of folk art styles or children’s drawings. These approaches often indicate social commentary, by contrasting the simplicity of the design with more elaborate ‘high art’ styles. Consider the labor involved in animation; it is intensive and specialized, but often uncredited. This drawing reminds us that 'fine art' and commercial work aren't so different. The same principles of design, color, and composition apply, no matter the context.