Danish illustrator Kay Nielsen is considered by many to be one of the greatest illustrators of the early 20th century. In 1939, the 53-year old Nielsen worked on development of Fantasia and The Little Mermaid, but was laid off in 1940 after Fantasia was completed and Little Mermaid scratched. By 1953, with his health failing, Sleeping Beauty Art Director Ken Anderson, asked Nielsen to create pastels in his style for development. Eventually, the studio had to choose between the style of Nielsen and the style of Eyvind Earle, with the job going to Eyvind Earle.