Thomas Taylor's original watercolor illustration for the first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" published by Bloomsbury in 1997 is scheduled to be auctioned (拍卖)for June 26 in New York. The artwork is expected to bring in between $400,000 to $600,000, setting a record for any Harry Potter-related material ever offered at auction.
Illustrator Thomas Taylor was a 23-year-old recent art school graduate when he was hired by Bloomsbury to make a cover illustration for a fantasy children's book by then-unknown author J. K. Rowling. It was Taylor's first professional task, and he recalled being directed by Bloomsbury's editor to depict the scene — Harry approaching the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross Station. Despite having limited freedom for artistic expression, Taylor faithfully followed the instructions.
Taylor had the unique opportunity to read Rowling's early manuscript (手稿) on a train, making him one of the very first individuals to do so. The manuscript, only printed on one side, was missing Chapter 11, as the author was still making changes. Despite its incomplete state, Taylor found it to be a fascinating glimpse into the world of Harry Potter. Taylor revealed that he used the blank underside of each manuscript page for sketching. "And then I think I put the rest of it in the recycling bin," he said. "Of course now I really regret that."
But Taylor said at the beginning he had mixed feelings about this early, giant success. "Normally when you start out as an illustrator, you kind of hope that your first work will be a bit forgotten and then you'll develop and get better and better," Taylor told The Rowling Library. However, he said he's finally made peace with it ——in part because of how prized his Harry Potter book cover painting has become at auction.
