Watercolour drawing for first book’s cover becomes most expensive item from the series ever sold at auction
An art handler at Sotheby’s New York holds Thomas Taylor's original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.An art handler at Sotheby’s New York holds Thomas Taylor's original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.The dealer said it was “the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold at auction”.
The illustration by Thomas Taylor, which featured on the debut edition of the novel in 1997, was sold after a four-way battle between bidders lasting nearly 10 minutes.It had an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, which Sotheby’s claims is the “highest pre-sale estimate ever placed on an item of any Harry Potter-related work”.
At the time, the depiction of the budding wizard, with his dark hair, round glasses and lightning bolt scar, on his way to Hogwarts by train, was estimated at £20,000 to £25,000 before being sold at £85,750.
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