The original watercolor illustration for the now-iconic cover art for the first edition of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone sold for a record-breaking $1.92 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, surpassing its high estimate of $600,000.
English artist Thomas Taylor created the illustration in 1997 when he was 23. It shows Harry Potter on Platform 9¾ awaiting the Hogwarts Express.
Taylor completed the illustration in two days using concentrated watercolors on cold-pressed paper with black pencil, after submitting sample drawings to Bloomsbury, leading to his selection as the artist for the book jacket.
This illustration is considered the first visualization of Harry Potter and the wizarding world, establishing the world's conception of Harry with his round glasses and lightning bolt scar.
The record price turned the illustration into the most valuable Harry Potter item ever auctioned, exceeding the previous record held by an unsigned first-edition copy of the book, which sold for $421,000.
The painting was part of the private library of an American book collector and surgeon, Dr. Rodney P. Swantko.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: CBS News, New York Times, Semafor, CNN, Forbes, Yahoo News, Flip the Media, Hypebeast, The Collector, The Times Hub, Saudi Gazette, ARTnews, Robb Report, Aussiedlerbote, Daily Sabah, Actual News Magazine, MutualArt, Watauga Democrat.