In a first for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an original illustration used for the cover of the very first book in the series has broken records after selling for a whopping $1.9 million at auction. The watercolour artwork created by Thomas Taylor for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the USA) attracted bids from multiple buyers leading to a drawn-out bidding war lasting close to 10 minutes before the hammer came down on the historic final price.
The debut visual depiction of the Boy Who Lived has become the most valuable Potter-related item sold at auction to date, surpassing a first edition copy of the same book that fetched over $400,000. Prior to the sale, the estimate placed on Taylor's illustration was between $400,000-$600,000 highlighting its importance as the very first glimpse into J.K. Rowling's magical world. Interest was high given it was also the earliest publicly traded artefact directly related to the global phenomenon that is Harry Potter.
According to sources close to the auction house, the fierce competition for the artwork reflected the immense nostalgia and collectible value attached with this pivotal pop culture relic from the beginning of a literary juggernaut. By capturing the young wizard on his way to Hogwarts via the Hogwarts Express for that debut 1997 cover, Taylor cemented the image we all know so well of Harry Potter – bespectacled with lightning bolt scar and unruly black hair. Nearly a quarter century later, it remains an instantly recognizable symbol of the series even to this day.
