History’s Most Famous Paintings Are Reimagined With Beloved Disney Characters

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Gustav Klimt, “The Kiss,” 1907

Art history is getting a Disney makeover in a new series of illustrations by artist Carlos Gromo. These imaginative renditions place characters from animated feature films into famous works of art, such as Gustav Klimt's The Kiss and Grant Wood's American Gothic.

The Spanish artist began the series in 2019 as a way to make classical paintings more engaging for people who are not familiar with art history. Gromo redraws the compositions of iconic masterpieces and substitutes the subjects with Disney characters that fit with the theme. What makes each of his illustrations so charming is how he seamlessly blends Disney's iconic style into the design. Gromo includes a small thumbnail of the original inspiration in the corner of each piece so viewers can see the transformation.

Some of his reimaginings fit all too well. For instance, Gromo combines Henry Meynell Rheam's The Fairy Wood with the cast of Snow White. In this elaborate composition, the raven-haired princess strolls through the forest in an ivory gown, as the seven dwarves help carry the train of her cape. In the background, the prince can be spotted riding his white horse in Snow White's direction. Likewise, Ariel and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid are fittingly placed into John William Waterhouse's painting The Siren, in which Eric lovingly gazes up at Ariel playing a harp on a rock.

You can purchase prints, keychains, and other artwork on Gromo's Etsy shop, and see more Disney-inspired artwork by following the artist on Instagram.

Spanish artist Carlos Gromo reimagines famous works of art with Disney characters from animated feature films.

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Grant Wood, “American Gothic,” 1930

He hopes these whimsical renditions will encourage more people to learn about art history.

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Lawrence Alma Tadema, “Ask Me No More,” 1906

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Auguste Toulmouche, “Vanity,” 1870

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Henry Meynell Rheam, “The Fairy Wood, ” 1903

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “Rest in Harvest,” 1865

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Pierre Auguste Cot, “The Storm,” 1880

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Edmund Blair Leighton, “The Accolade,” 1901

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: John William Waterhouse, “The Soul of the Rose,” 1908

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: John Simmons, “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” 1870

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: John William Waterhouse, “The Siren,” 1900

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, “At the Edge of the Brook,” 1875

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Michael and Inessa Garmash, “Precious Moments”

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Henrietta Rae, “Hylas and the Water Nymphs,” 1910

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Walter Crane, “Hermes and Venus Gazing into a Mirror,” 1885

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: John William Waterhouse, “The Sorceress,” 1911

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: Lawrence Alma Tadema, “The Favorite Poet,” 1888

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: John William Waterhouse, “Hylas and the Nymphs,” 1896

Disney Character Paintings by Carlos Gromo

Original painting: William Waterhouse, “A Tale from Decameron,” 1916

Carlos Gromo: Etsy | Facebook | Instagram

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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