Reimagining Disney Princesses At Their Current Ages

In 2013, Isaque Arêas, a Brazilian artist who loves Disney movies and art, started a special project called "Before and After – Disney Princesses." In this series, he draws Disney characters as they gracefully age.

This project began because Isaque Arêas was interested in how time affects famous people, especially in movies and TV shows. When he saw actors getting older on screen, he started to think about what would happen to Disney princesses as they grew up.

He imagined a world where these characters aged alongside the people who loved them, becoming artists in their own stories. However, at first, Arêas had some trouble bringing his idea to life.

Back in 2013, when he first conceived the project, he felt that he wasn't very good at drawing, so he gave up on it. Nevertheless, the idea stayed with him, and after a while, he felt determined to give it another try.

Isaque Arêas didn't plan to resume work on “Before and After – Disney Princesses” again; it just felt right to him.

He wanted to draw Disney princesses because they meant a lot to him as a child. He aimed for his drawings to convey that everyone, especially women, can find something relatable and empowering in these characters.

As Arêas created each picture, he contemplated how time changes things. He depicted the princesses as young and full of energy at first, then as they grew older and more mature.

He ensured that each drawing felt real and significant. Instead of making them less beautiful as they aged, he made them more interesting, showcasing their personalities evolving over time. People of all ages can relate to and appreciate these pictures.

Isaque Arêas felt gratified to see how people reacted to his project. He received numerous comments on social media, and it was heartening to see how people felt they could relate to the older princesses.

Some said they resembled their family members, while others felt they shared a similar journey with the characters. This led to some profound discussions about beauty, strength, and aging.

In his artwork "Before and After - Disney Princesses," Arêas wants us to view aging as a normal part of life. He suggests that in our society, we often believe that being young is the only way to be beautiful or significant.

However, by portraying princesses growing older, he conveys that it's okay to age and that there is value in the experiences we gain as we grow older. He wants us to recognize that Disney characters can be admirable at any age, and he hopes we can also feel good about our journey through life, regardless of our age.

"Snow White is now 92 years old. In the movie, she was 14 years old. Betty White was my inspiration."

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"Belle is now 41 years old. In the movie, she was 17 years old."

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"Ariel is now 42 years old. In the movie, she was 16 years old. Cameron Diaz was the inspiration for the cheeks."

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"Jasmine is now 38 years old. In the movie, she was 15 years old."

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"Cinderella is now 84 years old. In the movie, she was 19 years old. Julie Andrews was my inspiration."

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"Pocahontas is now 38 years old. In the movie, she was 18 years old."

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"Aurora is now 72 years old. In the movie, she was 16 years old."

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"Mulan is now 33 years old. In the movie, she was 16 years old. Ming-Na Wen was my inspiration."

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In the future, Arêas wants to continue creating more drawings for his “Before and After – Disney Princesses” collection. He aims to depict different ways of aging and tell more stories through his art.

With each picture, he hopes to inspire people to imagine and remember good times. He also wants to help people appreciate Disney princesses even more by highlighting how special they are.

As he continues to work on this project, Arêas remains focused on his goal of making everyone feel that they can see themselves in these characters, regardless of their age or where they are in life.