Artwork is now the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold
An original watercolor illustration from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has set a new record as the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold, fetching $1.9 million (£1.5 million) at auction in the US. The artwork, which depicts Harry Potter standing in front of the Hogwarts Express, exceeded expectations by selling for more than three times its anticipated price. Initially auctioned in 2001 for £85,750 (approximately $108,000 today), the piece is hailed as the earliest visual representation of Harry and the wizarding world.
Kalika Sands from Sotheby’s auction house remarked, “This is truly the first visualization of Harry and the wizarding world.” The artwork, originally estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000, saw intense bidding that lasted nearly 10 minutes, culminating in a sale whose buyer remains anonymous.
The artist, Thomas Taylor, created the illustration at the age of 23 in 1997 using concentrated watercolors with black pencil outlines, completing it over two days. Taylor was among the first to read the manuscript for the inaugural Harry Potter book, which later became a worldwide phenomenon spawning films, theme parks, and a vast franchise.
Ms Sands said the difference in auction price between 2001, when only four of the seven books in the series were published, and now reflected just how popular author Rowling’s creation had become.
“In the intervening decades, it’s been extraordinary to see just the conclusion of Harry’s story, but also how the Harry Potter franchise has taken off, and in that time, new generations have come to appreciate Harry and his journey as well.”
