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)




















