12/9/14, "Winnie-the-Pooh illustration sells for record price," AFP
"The original
drawing of an iconic literary illustration depicting Winnie-the-Pooh and
his friends playing "poohsticks" sold at auction in London on Tuesday
for a record-breaking £314,500 ($490,470 or 399,170 euros).
The drawing, which has become one of the most famous book illustrations of its time, shows the trio standing on a bridge looking expectantly into the river below.
In the story, Pooh invents the now widely-played game "poohsticks" in which he and his fictional friends throw sticks over one side of the bridge and wait for them to appear on the other.
The picture was first published in Milne's "The House at Pooh Corner" in 1928 and has been used on the front of many editions of the popular children's book since.
The auction house described it as "probably the most famous and evocative book illustration of the 20th century".
"It's an incredibly important piece, it's reproduced twice within 'The House at Pooh Corner', and I had great expectations that this would catch people's imagination but it exceeded all our expectations," Philip Errington, director of Sotheby's book department, told AFP....
Sotheby's sold the work in 1971 and 1974. The signed original has since been in a private collection.
"Back in 1974 it sold for a few
hundred pounds, certainly below the thousand mark, so this is an
indication in how the market in book illustrations has just soared
recently," said Errington."
Image: "AFP/Sotheby's London/AFP/File - A handout picture received on December
8, 2014 from Sotheby's London shows E H Shepard's original ink drawing
of Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet on the
.
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