Peter Carl Fabergè and Mickey Mouse

Very often the people who are thought of as creative geniuses have talent that is very different from the popular perception of it. As a case in point, an interesting parallel can be made between Fabergè and another icon of creativity whose “product” is very different from the luxurious items that were produced by Fabergè in various forms for nearly three quarters of a century. The comparison will be between Fabergè and one Walter Elias Disney.

As has been discussed elsewhere in this paper, despite the common misconception, Fabergè is known to not have actually physically created the fabulous imperial Easter eggs, or anything else for that matter, that came from his workrooms. This situation is not particularly unusual, as will be demonstrated by the parallels between Disney and Fabergè.

“Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” This statement, by Walt Disney, could just as well have been by Carl Fabergè. Plus, it’s an appropriate introduction to the subject of the creation of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Most people are surprised when they learn that the creators of these two of the twentieth century’s most enduring characters were people other than Walt Disney himself. Mickey Mouse was in fact created as collaboration between Disney and Ub Iwerks, a man who, except for a period between 1930 and 1940, was to be one of Disney’s chief artists for the next forty-two years. Disney was looking to replace Oswald the Lucky Rabbit; a character he had created that he felt had been wrongly taken from him. In 1928 Disney asked Iwerks to come up with ideas for a new character to replace Oswald, and Iwerks drew up various characters, including frogs, dogs, cats, and a cow and horse who in later years would be incarnated as Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar. None of these appealed to Disney, and the idea for a mouse supposedly came to him when he saw a dead mouse lying on the train tracks. From this, Iwerks developed the design that became Mickey Mouse. The first few Mickey cartoons were mostly or entirely drawn by Iwerks, and most film historians consider him to be the creator of Mickey Mouse.

Donald Duck was similarly created. Disney was looking for a character that could have some of the spit and fire that Mickey Mouse could never exhibit since he was such a wholesome individual. Donald was created by animator Dick Lundy in 1934, and was written for and illustrated by numerous artists over the years, including Al Taliaferro, who created Donald’s nephews Huey, Duey and Louie. Disney gave credit where credit was due: "I am in no sense of the word a great artist. I have always had artists working for me whose skills were greater than my own."

This situation parallels that of the House of Fabergè. Peter Carl had inherited his father’s relatively small jewelry business and began to run it in 1872, and the firm continued in his father’s tradition to create the relatively ornate items that were in vogue at the time. This began to change in 1882, when Faberge’s brother Agathon joined the organization and with his influence they began to produce a more refined product for which Fabergè was to become internationally renowned.

Like Disney, Fabergè was the inspiration and set the standards for his firm. As has been said, he didn’t actually make anything that his business sold, but like the collaboration between Disney and Iwerks, Fabergè was involved in the process of creation - usually from the beginning at the design stage, where he offered sketches or suggestions to the designers - to the final inspection, where if he wasn’t pleased with the result he was known to have taken a hammer and smashed work that didn’t meet his standards.

Like the many artists who worked with Disney, the House of Fabergè at its height had over 500 men who worked for the organization and countless others in independent firms who produced pieces for it. And like Disney, Fabergè worked closely with his best artisans, who worked with him in a building that contained not only the workshops, but also a showroom and the Fabergè family home.

Today, both Disney and Fabergè are universally recognized as innovators who developed their respective arts by leading and encouraging their people to produce to the highest standards