An original watercolor illustration recently reached a remarkable milestone in the world of literary memorabilia, becoming the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold. The work was auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York for the impressive sum of 1.9 million dollars (approximately 1.7 million euros). This unique piece was used as the cover for the first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by JK Rowling.
The illustration, created by the British artist Thomas Taylor when he was only 23 years old, exceeded the initial estimate of 600 thousand dollars by more than three times, which already represented the highest figure ever reached for an memorabilia linked to the saga of the famous boy wizard. Sotheby’s held the auction Wednesday night, and it took nearly 10 minutes and a battle between four bidders to close the sale. The identity of the new owner of the artwork has not been revealed.
The illustration
Thomas Taylor was one of the first to read JK Rowling’s manuscript and created the iconic watercolor depicting Harry Potter standing in front of the Hogwarts Express, the magical train destined to take the young wizard to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This illustration not only marked the beginning of one of the world’s most beloved literary series, but was also used by English publisher Bloomsbury Publishing for a commemorative reprint to mark the book’s 25th anniversary last year.
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The history of this illustration is already full of triumphs. When it was first auctioned at Sotheby’s in London in 2001, when only four of the seven books in the series had been published, it achieved a record price for Rowling’s franchise, selling for £85,750 ($107,000). This recent sale therefore represents further recognition of the cultural and historical value that the Harry Potter saga continues to have.
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