The original watercolour painting that was also the cover for the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has been sold at auction for US$1.9 million.
This is three times more than the expected price.
According to the BBC the painting was first auctioned in 2001, before the Harry Potter series was complete, and fetched nearly US$100 000.
The artwork was auctioned by the esteemed auction house, Sotheby’s. Four people bid for the piece and the auction took ten minutes. The identity of the buyer was not revealed.
The painting was done by a Welshman, Thomas Taylor, in 1997, when he was 23 years old.
Kalika Sands, of Sotheby’s said the increase in the value of the painting over the years showed how popular the Harry Potter franchise had become. She said: “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.
[Photo: Far Out]