Artwork Title: J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling, 2005

Stuart Pearson Wright

J. K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter books, has said that the character and plot came to her 'fully formed' during a train journey in 1990. She began writing shortly afterwards when she moved to Portugal to teach English. Later, as a single mother living in Edinburgh, she continued working on the manuscript in longhand. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), was the first of a planned series of seven - one for every year Potter spends at Hogwarts, a school for Wizards. The phenomenally successful series captivate both child and adult audiences alike. Her books have been translated into 61 languages, sold over a quarter of a billion copies worldwide and been made into major feature films. The artist began this portrait of J. K. Rowling in early 2004, when he paid several visits to the writer's Scottish home. Pearson Wright observed his subject, made sketches, sometimes while the author was at work, and took photographs for reference. Rowling is seated at a table, suggestive of the setting where the author famously wrote her first novel and where she occasionally still writes. The narrative alludes to Rowling's public and private self both as a writer, who has made an enormous impact on children's imaginations the world over, and as a mother - the eggs represent her own three children. Rowling's other worldly youthful presence in a surreal and disconcertingly distorted space calls to mind another children's classic, Alice in Wonderland. The painted sky beyond the window suggests a passage of time and illusionism that resonates with the Potter stories. In creating a 3-dimensional scene the artist has been influenced by 18th-century toy theatres and the boxes of Joseph Cornell. (http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw75232/JK-Rowling?LinkID=mp14871&role=sit&rNo=1)
Uploaded on Jun 30, 2017 by Suzan Hamer

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