La Pottermania it is a global phenomenon and every work that appears on the market attracts the interest of many collectors who have thus increased the value of the work at auction. This illustration has more detail than the one reproduced on the cover of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. For example, Platform 10 is visible in this image, as are more of Harry's clothes - which are decidedly Muggle and appropriately scruffy - and an impressive plume of steam and stars emanating from the Hogwarts Express. Thus, the image was imbued with a sense of magic. Now, for many, it evokes a sense of nostalgia.
Taylor and the boy wizard
At just 23 years old, Taylor's first professional assignment as a budding illustrator was the then-insignificant responsibility of being the first artist to visualize the yet-unknown character. The commission came from Bloomsbury's Barry Cunningham for a novel by an unpublished author by the name of Jo Rowling, and Taylor was among the first to read the manuscript and experience JK Rowling's Wizarding World. Taylor's charming submission featured a young Harry Potter boarding the train at Hogwarts, unaware that his magical depictions would enchant readers around the world for years to come. With over 500 million copies sold worldwide and translated into 80 languages, the series has become a global success. Taylor's first ever portrayal of the boy wizard, coined the “universal image” of Harry Potter himself, is complete with his signature dark hair, round glasses and lightning bolt-shaped scar.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Harry Potter series as early as June 2023, Taylor's original cover was featured in Bloomsbury Publishing's commemorative reprint of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, taking Potter devotees on a nostalgic journey to the place where the magic began and further cementing the legacy of illustration as a key part of Harry Potter lore for millions of fans around the world. Taylor's iconic illustration was first offered at auction in 2001 at Sotheby's in London, when four books in the series had been published and the Harry Potter story had yet to be completed.
“Maybe it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and thin for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he actually was because all he had to wear were Dudley's old clothes and Dudley was about four times bigger than him. Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of duct tape from all the times Dudley had punched him in the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a lightning bolt." Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 2.
