From the film-maker:

The knight and the hippogriff are what attracted me most to Ingres' painting. The story of my animation follows the rescue of the maid in danger by the hand of the brave knight gliding down on his hippogriff. The context is different, though. I chose to set it in a gloomy forest instead of the sea scenery of the painting, as this was closer to my favourite imaginary world and to the atmosphere I wanted to create. Another thing I thought I'd change for the same reasons is the sea monster, replacing it with a dragon, which is probably my favourite mythological animal. The historical period in my animation is roughly the same as that depicted in the painting, some time in the Middle Ages, as it is in Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem 'Orlando Furioso', which inspired the picture. Ingres' interpretation of the period is magical and visionary.

Valentina Grasso

A piece inspired by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Angelica saved by Ruggiero , 1819-39