Zuriñe watches films and TV shows with a double focus: the story unfolding and the visual world surrounding each scene. From Anastasia to the Bridgerton phenomenon, her gaze rests on the walls and backdrops, spotting paintings that carry hidden tales and sculptures that echo art from precious periods.
Zuriñe Fernández de Carranza is an art restorer who looks to pop culture to uncover layers of ancient art embedded in contemporary stories. She teaches plastic arts in Valencia institutes and shares knowledge across social networks to bring these discoveries to younger audiences and the broader public.
As teaching and lecturing work evolved, it became clear that animation goes beyond simple illustration. The production behind giants like Disney and Pixar reveals a wealth of artistic research. The example of Vaiana shows how studios travel to document and study art traditions far and wide, a fact she admires deeply.
In her spare time, with the help of the internet and a collaborative WhatsApp group of colleagues and professionals from the art world, she began researching the art surrounding animated films.
generation gap
From the materials collected, pedagogical cards are crafted for use in lessons. The influence of generation gaps is acknowledged, with memories of wanting to discuss Roman art in relation to the movie Hercules but finding little familiarity among students. Explaining the technical process of stop motion in animation, based on Tim Burton’s work, becomes straightforward for learners who know The Corpse Bride by heart.
This restorer is currently developing new references tied to premieres and pop phenomena like Bridgerton.
A viewing of the show led to a frame-by-frame rewatch to identify the paintings that decorate the rooms and halls where the story unfolds. Set during the Regency era, Bridgerton was partly filmed in three royal museums in the UK. The Holburne Museum in Bath is transformed into Lady Danbury’s residence, hosting receptions and balls in the series.
Royal Academy to Getty and MET
Several scenes re-create precious artworks. Filming took the cast to the Royal Academy in London, where a 1776 painting by Jean François Lagrenée captured attention. The Getty Museum participated in the production, with the Shondaland team and production designer Will Hughes-Jones collaborating on the visual storytelling. In some cases, authorship in fiction is adjusted to attribute paintings to a character, as with Henry Granville’s works echoing pieces by Orazio Gentileschi.
The production also nods to under-recognized female artists by including relevant references in the series’ subject matter.
Further explorations include works by Zuriñe Fernández de Carranza, with extensive coverage on her Twitter and Instagram accounts. Cataloging these references is encouraged. Will the project continue to grow?
1- Caravaggio
A recreation of Saint Thomas, Caravaggio’s 1602 masterpiece, appears behind a gallery during a family gathering in Bridgerton’s season two living room, underscoring how historical art can silently anchor modern storytelling.
2- Van Dyck
The Countess of Morton and Miss Killigrew, a painting by Anthony van Dyck from 1630, inspires the decoration of Queen Charlotte’s living room, blending portraiture with narrative space.
3- George Romney
Portrait of a Woman, attributed to Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782) and linked to a MET acquisition from 1781, hangs in the Bridgerton house’s rooms, appearing beside a brother named Colin.
4- Joshua Reynolds
Anne Dashwood, later Countess of Galloway, was painted by Reynolds in 1764. A reproduction of this work, also tied to the MET, decorates the Bridgerton residence, observed by the series’ leads.
Another portrait, Sir Joshua Reynolds’s George Capel, age 10 with Elizabeth Capel, appears in the Featherington family living room, seen in scenes featuring Lady Portia and other characters. The restorer also notes a portrait of George Robertson by John Francis Rigaud from 1776, displayed alongside a 1770-era piece by Joseph Wright, both connected to the MET’s collections and featured in the Featheringtons’ visiting room.
6- John Opie
A portrait found in Eloise Bridgerton’s room conveys intellectual vigor, aligning with the rebellious spirit of the family and representing the thinker and writer Mary Wollstonecraft. The original is traced to John Opie around 1797.
7- Willem Wissing
Elizabeth Jones, Countess of Kildare, painted in 1684, is housed at the Yale Center for British Art and makes appearances in the Featherington dining room, with Penelope Featherington and Lady Bridgerton foregrounded in related scenes.
8- Sawrey Gilpin
Gulliver and Houyhnhnms, painted by Sawrey Gilpin, anchors a wall in Lord Bridgerton’s office as part of the artist’s archive, with Anthony and Colin Bridgerton present in the frame.
9- Aelbert Cuyp
Flight View to Egypt, a Cuyp work from 1650 owned by the Metropolitan Museum, has a dedicated place in Bridgerton’s first season. The lead couple discusses a visit to Somerset House, turning a dialogue into a memorable turning point in their relationship.
10- Jean-François Lagrenée
Venus and Nymphs Bathing, a 1776 painting by Louis Jean François Lagrenée, decorates a Royal Academy Somerset House exhibition. The scene features Penelope Featherington and Eloise Bridgerton, who critique the male gaze portrayed in the artwork.
11- Claude Michel
Sculpture also plays a crucial role in Bridgerton’s visual storytelling. The Royal Academy’s annual collection visit drives much of the plot, and a sculpture gallery becomes a pivotal setting.
In a chosen moment, Kate Sharma’s character encounters a Claude Michel sculpture from the Frick collection, a recreation of another famous terracotta work titled Zephyr and Flora from 1769, underscoring how three-dimensional art anchors narrative tension.