Matte Painting Backgrounds — Before CGI

Years ago, my husband and I attended an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York featuring the spectacular matte paintings of Peter Ellenshaw, who created the enthralling background designs for movies from the futuristic “Things to Come” to Walt Disney Studios’ “Treasure Island” and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”  Before the days of computer-generated images some of the most imaginative and evocative settings on film were created by brilliantly talented draughtsman and artists.  Many thanks to Roger Ebert for directing me to this splendid collection of some of the best movie matte paintings, including Ellenshaw’s wonderful London setting for “Mary Poppins.”