A Friday Visit with Jim Korkis: The Art of Disney’s Riviera Resort
By Dave Shute
Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.
THE ART OF DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT
By Jim Korkis
Disney resort hotels are renowned for their attention to artistic details and Disney’s Riviera Resort provides an opportunity to showcase the European influences of Disney heritage.
“The approach was to take the inspiration of a classical resort of a grand era along the European coast in a uniquely Disney experience. We do that by creating a level of casual elegance as part of the experience,” said Imagineer Dean Huspen.
“While the color palette itself is classical, the pops of colors on the awning and shutters and the area development and even the way we incorporate little discoveries in design features into the ornamental metal work and the railings became that approach.”
According to Imagineer Missy Renard, “The inspiration came from the renowned art heritage of the Riviera region itself where there was a prolific amount of work that came from the late 19th century and 20th century masters. What we’ve done is taken our Disney characters and icons and work them into these series of paintings and different kinds of art that reflect the subject, brush strokes and technique of what the artists were studying.”
The goal was to capture a European style and sensibility of art with a Disney twist. In addition, there is a variety of Riviera-themed artwork around the resort that doesn’t have anything at all to do with Disney.
As Disney has stated, “During the early-20th-century, artists along the Riviera were exploring ways to make still life objects come to life on a flat canvas. Artists would first break the objects into individual shapes and forms then accentuate each object with strong outlines.”
Inspired by the cubist style of art, Disney artists painted the enchanted objects from Beauty and the Beast (1991) – Cogsworth, Lumiere, Chip and Mrs. Potts – as they appear to come to life on a canvas entitled “Still Life With Teapot”.
The dramatic hues of sunset inspired Disney artists in painting Rapunzel and Pascal as they watch the glowing lanterns illuminate the evening sky, creating a delightful pattern of shape and color in the painting called “Girl With Lanterns”.
The S’il Vous Play interactive children’s water play area draws inspiration from the grand public fountains seen throughout Europe with its patina and limestone-inspired design.
Another inspiration for it was the “Dance of the Hours” segment from the animated feature Fantasia (1940). The area celebrates music, art, dance and storytelling by featuring whimsical animals from the film frolicking and playing in the water. An elephant filling a dump bucket with his trunk, hippos and ostriches dancing and playing, as well as hippos splashing water into decorative bowls and basins are meant to bring a smile to guests’ faces.
A dedicated Disney Skyliner station leads to an archway with two mosaic murals made from one million hand-cut tiles. One mural is the lantern scene from Tangled (2010) and the other shows pixie dust circling the Tower of London and arching over to the Neverland Lagoon where the golden Jolly Roger pirate ship takes flight from Peter Pan (1953). Both reference flight to tie-in with the Skyliner and both feature European stories.
Artwork referencing Peter Pan is scattered throughout the resort including in the one bedroom villas a painting inspired by Mary Blair’s concept art for that 1953 animated film with the Darling children flying out of their bedroom window, and in the hallways a painting of Mrs. Darling reading to her children and Nana the dog.
In the deluxe studio by the bed, there is an homage to a vintage French poster with Mademoiselle Minnie and for sharp-eyed guests in another painting guests can see the red Lightning McQueen racing along a bridge over the sea.
Of course, there are many Hidden Mickeys as well. The hallway carpeting is in gold, blue, and white to evoke a European elegance and hidden in the filigree pattern is the head of Minnie Mouse.
Rich colors, elegant metallics and metals, and playful artwork and décor once again show the care and skill of including artistic influences into a Disney resort hotel.
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Thanks, Jim!
Much more on Disney’s Riviera Resort begins here, with art from the resort particularly featured here.
Come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis! In the meantime, check out his books, including his new Halloween-appropriate Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and his other new book, Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.
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