Thursday, December 17, 2009

Auction Report: Sotheby's

The English Literature, History, Childrens' Books & Illustrations sale at Sotheby's London today made £997,113. Full results are here. Top sellers:

- E.H. Shepard drawings, the map for Winnie-the-Pooh and a lot of the only two Shepard drawings of heffalumps did well; the former made £49,250, and the latter was the top seller at £55,250.

- An Edmund Dulac watercolor for Sleeping Beauty, "The Castle in the Distance," did more than better the £8,000-12,000 estimate, selling for £51,650; the same price was had for a Rackham oil painting.

- A first edition of Darwin's Origin made £49,250.

- An unpublished William Blake letter (the first Blake letter at auction in more than 15 years) sold for £46,850.