Sotheby’s to Auction the Illustration that Introduced Harry Potter to the World

 Sotheby’s to Auction the Illustration that Introduced Harry Potter to the World

 

Thomas Taylor’s Original Cover Artwork for

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Est. $400,000 - 600,000

Record Estimate for Any Harry Potter Material Offered at Auction 

Thomas Taylor, Illustration for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, est. $400,000 - 600,000

“It is hard to convey the impact of this illustration by Thomas Taylor, created in 1997, for the then unknown novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Instantly recognizable today, Taylor's work serves as the visual blueprint for the boy wizard who has since inspired millions worldwide. Taylor's charming work has become a vital addition to what is now the most beloved children's book series in history, perfectly capturing the enchanting and nostalgic universe of Harry Potter.”  Richard Austin, Sotheby’s Global Head of Books & Manuscripts

"It is exciting to see the painting that marks the very start of my career, decades later and as bright as ever! It takes me back to the experience of reading Harry Potter for the first time — one of the first people in the world to do so — and the process of creating what is now an iconic image. As I write and illustrate my own stories today, I am proud to look back on such magical beginnings." Thomas Taylor, Author and Illustrator

NEW YORK, 2 MAY 2024 – This June, a universally recognized literary illustration is set to go to auction at Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor’s original watercolor for the first book in the beloved Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Taylor’s work, featured on the covers of the first edition of the novel in 1997, is estimated at $400,000 to $600,000, marking the highest pre-sale estimate ever placed on an item of any Harry Potter-related work. The illustration is a highlight from the forthcoming sale of The Library of Dr. Rodney P. Swantko, a small, highly significant library of nineteenth- and twentieth-century English and American literature, and will be offered on 26 June alongside works by literary greats such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Edgar Allan Poe, among others.   At just 23 years old, Taylor’s first professional commission as a budding illustrator was the then-unremarkable responsibility of being the first artist to visualize the as-yet-unknown character, Harry Potter. The assignment came from Barry Cunningham at Bloomsbury for a novel by an unpublished author by the name of Jo Rowling, and Taylor was among the first to read the manuscript and experience J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. Taylor’s charming submission featured a young Harry Potter boarding the train to Hogwarts, unaware that his magical depictions would enchant readers worldwide for years to come. With over 500 million copies sold worldwide and translations in 80 languages, the series has become a worldwide hit. Taylor’s first-ever depiction of the boy wizard, coined the “universal image” of Harry Potter himself, is complete with his trademark dark hair, round glasses, and lightning bolt scar.   To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Harry Potter series in June 2023, Taylor’s original cover was featured in Bloomsbury Publishing’s commemorative reprint of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, taking Potter devotees on a nostalgic journey to where the magic first began and further cementing the illustration’s legacy as a key part of the Harry Potter lore for millions of fans worldwide.   Taylor’s iconic illustration was first offered at auction in 2001 at Sotheby’s London, when only the first four books in the series were published and the story of Harry Potter had yet to be completed. However, Pottermania was already a global phenomenon and the presale estimate of £20,000 - £25,000 was, at the time, the highest estimate placed on any Harry Potter-related material. The illustration realized a record-breaking £85,750, and now, more than 20 years later, the original illustration returns to auction poised to not only far exceed the value it previously sold, but also to potentially set a new auction record for any Harry Potter related item. In 2021, an unsigned first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stonesold for $421,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, marking the current record price ever achieved for an item related to the Harry Potter series.   Additionally, this June, Sotheby’s will offer one of J.K. Rowling’s seven original manuscripts for The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a book of fairy tales penned by the author in 2007. This manuscript, which was not intended originally for publication, is one of only six handwritten by J.K Rowling, as gifts to people intimately involved with the publication of Harry Potter (the seventh was auctioned for charity). This copy was previously held in the collection of Barry Cunningham and includes the inscription: “To Barry, the man who thought an overlong novel about a boy wizard in glasses might just sell … THANK YOU." It will be offered during Sotheby’s New York Fine Books and Manuscripts Auction, estimated $250,000 – 350,000. The forthcoming Books and Manuscripts Auction at Sotheby’s London on 10 July will also feature several presentation copies of the Harry Potter series, including Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  n 1997, Thomas Taylor, a recent art school graduate working at a children’s bookshop in Cambridge, received a call from the offices of Bloomsbury Publishing offering his first professional commission for an entirely new book by an unknown author. Thomas accepted, and became one of the first to read the original manuscript of Rowling’s earliest work, sketching some inspiration on the back of the manuscript pages that had notes from the editor scribbled in the margins. Ironically, Taylor would eventually discard the pages, unaware of the series’ future significance.   In just two days, Taylor created the iconic work using concentrated watercolors on cold pressed watercolor paper and outlined with black Karisma pencil. The illustration is both signed and dated (“Thomas Taylor 1997”) on the verso, captioned and signed again on the accompanying cover sheet, bringing to life the iconic attributes that have since become synonymous with the Harry Potter.   Taylor never ended up purchasing a copy of the first edition of the book that launched the famous series. While he was working in the bookshop, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone became a major seller, and Taylor’s colleagues would enthusiastically inform customers that their local bookseller was the illustrator of the new sensation. Often, shoppers would be in disbelief that an illustrator of this success would be working at their local bookstore. Taylor’s work quickly became a globally known image, with most major international publishers using Taylor’s cover for translated versions of the book, though it was not used for the American edition (which was published under the title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone).   The Harry Potter community has dissected and analyzed every stroke of Taylor's illustrations, devising endless theories that unravel potential hidden meanings embedded in the imagery. Taylor himself has confirmed that his father served as the inspiration for the wizard on the back cover, and the item in his pocket, as many hypotheses have debated, is a hedgehog, lending both a touch of humor and whimsy to the image. In later publications, this illustration is replaced by a depiction of Dumbledore, headmaster Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.   Despite the whirlwind attention, Taylor appreciated the opportunity the Harry Potter series gave him but preferred to focus on his own career. He is today the author and illustrator of the five-book children’s series, Erie-on-Sea. n 1997, Thomas Taylor, a recent art school graduate working at a children’s bookshop in Cambridge, received a call from the offices of Bloomsbury Publishing offering his first professional commission for an entirely new book by an unknown author. Thomas accepted, and became one of the first to read the original manuscript of Rowling’s earliest work, sketching some inspiration on the back of the manuscript pages that had notes from the editor scribbled in the margins. Ironically, Taylor would eventually discard the pages, unaware of the series’ future significance.   In just two days, Taylor created the iconic work using concentrated watercolors on cold pressed watercolor paper and outlined with black Karisma pencil. The illustration is both signed and dated (“Thomas Taylor 1997”) on the verso, captioned and signed again on the accompanying cover sheet, bringing to life the iconic attributes that have since become synonymous with the Harry Potter.   Taylor never ended up purchasing a copy of the first edition of the book that launched the famous series. While he was working in the bookshop, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone became a major seller, and Taylor’s colleagues would enthusiastically inform customers that their local bookseller was the illustrator of the new sensation. Often, shoppers would be in disbelief that an illustrator of this success would be working at their local bookstore. Taylor’s work quickly became a globally known image, with most major international publishers using Taylor’s cover for translated versions of the book, though it was not used for the American edition (which was published under the title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone).   The Harry Potter community has dissected and analyzed every stroke of Taylor's illustrations, devising endless theories that unravel potential hidden meanings embedded in the imagery. Taylor himself has confirmed that his father served as the inspiration for the wizard on the back cover, and the item in his pocket, as many hypotheses have debated, is a hedgehog, lending both a touch of humor and whimsy to the image. In later publications, this illustration is replaced by a depiction of Dumbledore, headmaster Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.   Despite the whirlwind attention, Taylor appreciated the opportunity the Harry Potter series gave him but preferred to focus on his own career. He is today the author and illustrator of the five-book children’s series, Erie-on-Sea.