The largely unpainted Mickey Mouse statue, depicting the character of Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia, possibly once being part of a bigger composition, unusually being modelled in stone and surviving from the last quarter of twentieth century England.
Unknown.
The character’s public debut was in Steamboat Willie, which appeared in 1928 and was one of the first cartoons with synchronised sound. By the mid-30s, largely because of The Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey had developed into a role model for children.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was by Paul Dukas and based on Goethe’s 1797 poem “Der Zauberlehrling”. Mickey Mouse, the young apprentice of the sorcerer Yen Sid, attempts some of his master’s magic tricks but does not know how to control them. Originally conceived as a short film, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was devised by Walt to bring Mickey back into the foreground of the company. With the success of Snow White, Pinocchio, and other animated projects, Mickey’s popularity declined in favour of the full-length features.
Super fun, one expects him to spring into action any moment now.
The piece is in good overall order with the base being a little untidy where it has obviously been removed from a larger composition. The nose has been painted in black but obviously the rest is unfinished and could be a fun project for the next owner.
By appointment only.
