Savage Empire

Pinturicchio - Green Dragon. 1490

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Nymphs Dancing to Pan's Flute by Joseph Tomanek, 1920

Freyja

Artwork by Abigail Larson

Depictions of the Beast pre-Disney are so funny to me because illustrations range from Curious George...

...to a giant rat...

...to a warthog with rizz...

...to some sort of scaly gremlin creature...

...to a kindly gentle bear.

Disney really perfected this aspect of the fairy tale.

Find more info, and credits of all of the paintings/illustrations here:

Bruh don't even get me STARTED on depictions of him in theatre. Here are two of my favorites! The Disney Broadway costumes in my humble opinion are solidly meh. A little dated, but still fun. I figured I'd drop puppets here instead.

"Beauty and the Beast" (Chichester Featival Theater, 2017, Puppet Designer: Nick Barnes)

"Beauty and the Beast" (Synetic Theatre, 2023, Puppet Designer: Zana Gankhuyag)

And an honorable mention to the 2022 Beast Puppet from the Disney 30th anniversary celebration production bc it is a cool puppet, I just think he looks wayy too goofy and tbh feels too much like Nick Barnes' design.

La belle et la Bete dir. Jean Cocteau 1946

I do know that there is another version from czechia? Sorry my brain can't find it right now. Where the beast is more bird like

Here's Your Answer Right Here. ;)

The Czechoslovakia Adaptation is called, "Panna a Netvor" (aka "Virgin & the Monster").

Technically The Most Aesthetically "Beauty and the Beast" version right after "La Belle Et La Bete".

Co-signing both of these tags from @girl-mercury:

adding some other pre-disney beasts I think are cool

john d batten (1904)

eleanor vere boyle (1875)

warwick goble (1913)

w heath robinson (1921)

Adding two more of my favorites.

Mahlon and Kinuko Craft (2016). After Disney but who cares with these details so rich you just want to crawl into the painting and never come out again.

Hilary Knight (1990). Just bareeelllllyyyyy before Disney though it's possible this was influenced by preproduction promo stuff? Regardless, one of the coolest and most dramatic Beasts I've ever seen. The thigh-high boots! The phoenix feather cape with the head clasp! He may not have opposable thumbs anymore but dammit you've gotta have style!

Peruvian Harpy, The Monster of Lake Fagua, 1700-1799

Etching with watercolour

Virgo by Artem Chebokha

Jean-François Jalabert, Galatée (detail) 19th century

The Knight Raymondin and the Fairy Melusine (1894)

Art by Karel Thole, used in Fantaciencia magazine #12, c. 1982

Conan The Barbarian by Tony Harris