Willow

An original matte painting study used in the production of the 1988 fantasy picture Willow starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer under the direction of Ron Howard.

Mattes are large scale, finely detailed and realistic paintings which are often photographed and composited with live action footage usually to extend or provide a background which cannot be achieved practically, this art form was a staple of the motion picture industry for many years but has been largely replaced by computer generated imagery in more recent times.

This study of the Nelwyn village was painted by Industrial Light and Magic matte painting supervisor Chris Evans, accomplished in acrylic paints on artists board this highly detailed and atmospheric painting acted as a concept for the final matte created by Evans for the movie. The piece is hand inscribed in pencil underneath the painting 'Nelwyn Village' with the number 'MP-39'. Chris Evans along with Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister and Phil Tippett was nominated for the 1988 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work on this picture.

The painted section measures approximately 10" x 4.5" with the complete board measuring 12" x 8". The artwork remains in excellent production used condition, very fine.

A fine example of original artwork and a displayable artefact from this noted 1980s production.