“Of all the Disney love stories, Beauty and the Beast is perhaps the most poignant. Beast’s true identity as a charming prince who is discovering love in the form of the beautiful Belle. In my painting, I memorialize that magic moment when they first begin to discover their love for each other. Many of the characters from the movie are present, including Belle’s father, Maurice - an eccentric inventor who soars overhead in his homemade flying machine. In the distance, we see the village that is a central setting for many of the film’s most important moments. At lower left, we see the evil Gaston leading his parade of angry townspeople in search of the Beast. As in the movie, the wonderful characters of Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and of course, Lumiere, feature prominently in the foreground.”

     -Thomas Kinkade