“Potter” artwork sold for $122,000

The original watercolor artwork used for the initial publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in London Tuesday for $122,000. It had been expected to fetch about $35,000. The British Web site Ananova observed that the work by artist Thomas Taylor contains far more detail than is actually seen on the cover art. (The book was published in the U.S. as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.) A movie version of the book is arguably the most anticipated film of the year.