What is it about? This Harry Potter item just became the most expensive ever sold at auction
The original watercolor was painted by a bookseller, Thomas Taylor, who was 23 years old at the time. Today it is worth $1.9 million and is the cover of the first book in the series to be published.
This original watercolor painting was nothing more and nothing less than the cover of the first book of Harry Potter and shattered a franchise record by selling on Wednesday at Sotheby’s auction house in New York for $1.9 million.
The watercolor illustration of Thomas Taylorwho was a 23-year-old bookseller when he first painted the work, became the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold at auction.
The work destroyed expectations – it was expected to sell between 400,000 and 600,000 dollars– and increased its value by more than a 1,650% since it was first auctioned in London for $108,280 (£85,750) in 2001. Sotheby’s did not name the buyer.
The artwork appeared on the covers of the first edition of harry potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997 and was used again last year when Bloomsbury commissioned a commemorative reprint to mark the book’s 25th anniversary.
The sale of a manuscript of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a book of short stories referenced in the Harry Potter saga sells for between $250,000 and $350,000; Bidding will close on Friday.
The previous record: US$421,000 was the price of the most expensive Harry Potter item before this auction. It was an unsigned first edition of the first book in the series sold in Dallas three years ago. Taylor’s artwork sold for 351% more.
The most famous watercolor
The artist, Thomas Taylorwas working in a children’s bookstore when he received his first professional assignment from the publishing house Bloomsbury to create the Harry Potter cover art.
He became one of the first people to read the book’s original manuscript and, within two days, had painted a watercolor work of a young wizard with a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his head standing in front of the Hogwart Express train.
The cover art was used by most of the book’s international publishers, but was not used for the Argentine edition.
Upcoming streaming news
HBO’s upcoming television adaptation of its Harry Potter series landed a producer and director on Wednesday.
Mark Mylodwho directed several episodes of Game of Thrones, Succession and the Golden Globe-nominated film The Menu, will executive produce and direct several episodes of the as-yet-untitled series. Francesca Gardinerproducer of Succession and His Dark Materials, was tapped as director and will also executive produce.
Little is known so far about the series, other than that it promises to be a “faithful” adaptation of the books and will turn each of the seven original novels into a new season over a decade. It is expected to premiere in 2026.
Note published in Forbes US.
