Expected to break auction record: Original 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' cover art.
Set to fetch an impressive $600,000 during an auction next month, this Harry Potter-themed watercolor artwork is expected to hold the highest presale value for any related item, according to auction house Sotheby's.
Illustrated by renowned author and artist Thomas Taylor, the piece showcases a young wizard Harry Potter, with his trademark dark brown hair, round glasses, and lightning bolt scar, about to embark on his first journey aboard the Hogwarts Express train, en route to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Sotheby's mentions that Taylor's cover art has been featured in various translated versions of the book. Nevertheless, it didn't appear on the American edition, titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Back in 2001, Taylor's illustration was up for sale at Sotheby's in London, where it soared past its estimated price, fetching approximately £85,750, or around $106,000.
Fast-forward to June 2023, Sotheby's anticipates surpassing the previous sale value of this exceptional piece and potentially setting a new record for any Harry Potter-related item, the auction house shared in a statement.
The current auction record for items connected to the book series belongs to an unsigned first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," sold for a whopping $421,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, in 2021, Sotheby's noted.
A fresh-faced 23-year-old, Taylor created this masterpiece in only two days, as per Sotheby's.
Earlier in the series, Taylor was employed at a bookstore and, as per Sotheby's, his coworkers would inform customers that their local bookshop employee was the sketch's artist and contributed to the skyrocketing popularity of the novel.
The Tommy Taylor artwork, among other English and American literature pieces, will be showcased at Sotheby's in New York on June 26.
A fascinating J.K. Rowling handwritten original manuscript for her 2007 book "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is slated for sale by Sotheby's on July 10.
This specific manuscript is one of six handwritten by the author, intended as gifts to people crucial to the publication of Harry Potter.
Both the watercolor artwork and the manuscript will be exhibited at Sotheby's in New York from June 21 to 25.
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The original 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' cover art, created by Thomas Taylor, is renowned for its unique style within the arts world, showcasing Taylor's distinctive interpretation of Harry Potter's character.
As Sotheby's prepares for the auction of Taylor's iconic piece, they acknowledge that his cover art has graced various translated versions of the book, demonstrating its global appeal and versatility in different art styles.
Source: edition.cnn.com
