I have had Maleficent on the brain lately. I’m in high anticipation of the upcoming movie and also am a sucker for dark fairy-tales in general. Recently I meandered through the cyber forests of deviantArt to look for works paying homage to the famed “Sleepy Beauty” witch. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this rendition:

To say this shot was striking would be an understatement. It’s always interesting to see another artist’s perspective on the Disney villains and this brings Maleficent’s character to a whole new chilling level. Good villains within the fantasy genre often strike fear into the hearts of men and women. I think this reimagining does just that. Bumping into this witch on a shaded forest path isn’t something I’d be excited about.

The photo was taken by German photographer and model Valerie Mrosek. I caught up with Mrosek via email when asking permission to post this photo and couldn’t help but prod her about what inspired this work. In good humor, she said that she started the fantasy shoot by aiming to featuring a daemon-esque woman (which I’d say is exactly what Maleficent is). However, by the end of shooting she noticed that the portrait looked more and more like her idea of Maleficent.

Happy accidents, as I always say in artistry.

End result: A great visual contribution to the Maleficent mythos that truly gives Angelina Jolie a run for her money.

So what do you think, lords and ladies? Does this fit your idea of Maleficent’s character? Post a comment or write to me under the “Contact” tab in the menu bar to let me know what you think.

Also a big thanks to Valerie Mrosek for letting me feature her work! To see her other photos, check her out on deviantArt.