Two interviews with artist Mary GrandPre

Of course GrandPre is not doing to tell us what happens (you wouldn’t want that anyway!), but she does talk about how she creates the covers, and provides clues to those of us who are trying to figure out what they might mean.

“Potter artist Mary GrandPre makes magic” by Janis Campbell, from the Detroit Free Press, dated June 5, 2007

This article is mostly autobiographical and doesn’t really discuss her artwork. However, she does say something interesting about the details she works into her paintings:

And speaking of the final cover, does she get a kick out of all the excitement created by the early release of the cover? “I think it’s fun to see the reaction from people. The fans that are really diehard fans look very closely at the artwork,” Mary says.And they should. “I try to make everything have a meaning. … There is a reason why something is in the illustration. I don’t just put it in because it looks better. It really does have to have a meaning or part of the story has to support it.”

“Harry Potter illustrator says goodbye” by Molly Millett, from the Pioneer Press, dated June 7, 2007

This is an interesting one if you are curious about her technique and how the design of the images has changed over the years. Do you have a veil=curtains theory? Read what she says (snippet below) about the curtains on Book 1 and 7! I’m not sure she has closed those ideas down — she doesn’t say it isn’t *also* the veil. Indeed, if the curtains are there solely for compositional/symbolic reasons, it would seem to contradict her statement in the earlier article.

When asked to specifically critique her work, GrandPre says: “The first couple, three covers, definitely, they were smaller figures; it was more about a big scene happening in the book. And then we started to close in on Harry and started to deal more with mood or atmosphere. For the last one, I took the curtains from the first cover and put them on the last one. I brought back some of the jeweled tones but kept the more strongly rendered Harry.”

What do you think?

Deluxe edition cover art!

Oh my goodness, we finally have Deluxe edition (U.S.) cover art!

Later edit:
I have been reading some wonderfully creative theories! My own contribution to the nuttiness is in the comments.

From the Scholastic Press Release: David Saylor, Vice President, Creative Director, Scholastic described the art as:

Set during a highly dramatic sunset, Harry, Hermione, and Ron–clothes in tatters–cling atop a flying dragon in this astonishing artwork created by Mary GrandPre for the deluxe edition. As mist creeps down towering hillsides to a village below, questions arise about where the trio is headed and what has led them to this spellbinding moment.

The covers were revealed this morning by Arthur A. Levine on the Today Show (NBC). According to their webpage, "Arthur said the image on the cover is one of his favorite scenes in the book and he specifically asked that it be the image of the deluxe cover."

Usually there is also bonus art inside the deluxe edition. According to the press release, Here’s what we still haven’t seen yet:

* never-before-seen full color frontispiece art on special paper.
* "Illustration Showcase" insert that features near scale reproductions of Mary GrandPre's chapter openers
* bonus black-and-white illustration that appears at the end of the "Illustration Showcase"

The deluxe edition will be a total of 816 pages; the suggested retail price is $65.00 and the print run will be 100,000 copies.

Transcript for Levine interview

Daydreamcharms has sent us the transcript for the Levine interview on the Today Show! Big thanks!

Transcript: Arthur A. Levine on the Today Show, 28th March 2007

Meredith Vieira: All of you Harry Potter fans, hold on to your Hogwarts Hats. If you've enjoyed reading the first 6 Harry Potter books from bestselling author J.K. Rowling, I'm betting you're counting down the days to the July 21st release of the 7th and final book in the series. It's called "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", and it will have a record-breaking first printing of 12 million copies here in the US. This morning, Arthur A. Levine, vice-president of Arthur A. Levine Books and the co-editor of the Harry Potter series is here to unveil the cover. Arthur, good morning to you.

Matt Lauer: Hey, Arthur!

Arthur Levine: Good morning. Nice to be here.

Lauer: You've brought these books over here so this is gonna be very exciting for you.

Levine: It is... you know it's exciting because I've been holding this secret now for months, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with other people and actually being able to talk about it

Vieira: I can't stand it. Can I just do this?

Levine: Yeah, sure

(Meredith reaches for the cloth covering the mock-up)

Lauer: Be careful cause she has a knack... she's a little... Meredith is accident-prone.

Vieira: Ta-daaa!

Lauer: So tell us about the artwork. What are we seeing here?

Vieira: It does not look good for him... for Harry.

Levine: We're seeing Harry in a very interesting situation, and readers will find out exactly what that situation is.

Vieira: We know somebody's gonna die, right?

Levine: We do know, we do know somebody's gonna die.

Lauer: On what page?

(All laugh)

Lauer: Let me show... that's the front cover, obviously, here's the entire jacket the way it plays out, it wraps around the whole book.

Vieira: It wraps around the book.

Lauer: What's happening here?

Levine: Well, I can't tell you exactly what's happening here. BUt that is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and it's the first time he's been shown on the jacket. And actually, it's interesting, cause we've made these extra long... the flaps, the part that's wrapped around the book are a little bit longer than usual, so you have more artwork than usual. It's very beautiful.

Lauer: Do you have... As the guy who brought it here, do you have mixed emotions about this series coming to an end?

Levine: Oh yeah, sure. I mean, when I was reading it, you know I had both the excitement and the power of the book, and the plot driving me forward. But I also was feeling a little sad. It's the last time...

Vieira: Did you cry?

Levine: I did. Sobbing... sobbing.

Vieira: That means that someone we like dies, doesn't it.

Levine: Well, it means that it's a very very emotional book.

Lauer: Just trivia-wise, how long does it take to print 12 million copies of the book?

Levine: It takes several weeks.

Lauer: Gosh.

Vieira: Wow.

Lauer: Congratulations in advance, and thank you. We can't wait to see it in July.

Levine: Thank you very much.

Vieira: Arthur Levine, thank you very much. Just a reminder, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will arrive at bookstores on July 21st.

Cover art! Wheeee!

Thrilling, confounding, gorgeous cover art! Be sure you’re sitting down when you look. High-resolution artwork has been released today by Scholastic and Bloomsbury. [View the images at The Leaky Galleries]

Treasure! Patronus! Locket! Silver Hogwarts? Strange triangle/circle emblem! Veils? Hallows? We're trying not to hyperventilate.

The artist for the American editions is again Mary GrandPré, and the artist for the UK children’s edition is Jason Cockcroft.

We've included some AQ staffer commentary. You can see there is no one right answer!

Bloomsbury children's edition, images from left to right

1) Fanged snake in what appears to be a crystal ball or orb. Reflections in the glass appear to be either open doors or windows.

Lisa: I think this is a vision in a crystal ball of Nagini. Who is looking into it? Whose ball is it?

Julia: Is it a hint that Nagini is indeed a Horcrux? Has Nagini been trapped in glass for some reason? By Harry, his friends or the Order? Is Harry having more visions? Does this lead into the Harry= Horcrux idea? Another prophesy? Does the zoo Boa make another appearance?

2) Nighttime scene (full moon!) with a storm of some sort rolling in from the left. There is a castle with tree consistent with depictions of Hogwarts and the Whomping Willow, however the castle is either icy or silver, and the tree has no leaves. This is odd because the grass in front of the castle is green. All the windows are lit and a large doorway is open with warm yellow light shining through.

Lisa: I think Hogwarts is being attacked by Dementors and -- are those giants in the clouds? The full moon may mean that werewolves are about also.

Julia: Yet more proof that Hogwarts will feature in the final volume.

3) Equilateral triangle that appears to be carved into marble. The triangle contains a circle; both are bisected vertically.

Lisa: This looks to me like an alchemical symbol, though I can't find any that are perfect matches. I think it is something Jo made up for some purpose. Is it a monogram? A symbol for a secret society? The entrance to the treasure room?

Julia: "In essence divided"? Whatever it is, it is important just as the ring on the spine of HBP was important.

4) Stone arch the frames the trio and quite a lot of treasure. Harry, Ron and Hermione seem to be either jumping through the arch or being sucked into it; Harry is almost completely horizontal. Harry has wounds showing through his torn clothing; Hermione also has wounds on her arms. On Harry's back is a small, pale creature with long fingernails and pointed ears holding a dagger with a ruby pommel.

The trio all seem to be having different reactions. Ron (wearing embroidered green robes) is focused off to the left and has his mouth open as if surprised or frightened. Hermione (wearing purple embroidered robes) is focused off to the right and seems to be screaming or shouting. Harry (wearing a plain black t-shirt or sweater) appears to be speaking, his hands are in a warding or conjuring gesture. His eyes are focused straight ahead and something bright is reflected in his glasses. Golden treasure is all around: coins, gemstones (all rubies), silvery armor (snake on front? gryphon?), glass flagons or vials, plates, goblets, a ewer, a helmet with a dragon and rubies on it, and possibly a Celtic torc. No one is holding a wand.

Lisa: Due to all the rubies, I think this is mostly a Gryffindor treasure vault. I also think that Harry looks like he's seen something important and is casting a spell. Why the rich robes for Hermione and Ron? Has there been some sort of ceremony? Did they come here from a place that had cool robes they were trying on? And if that is Dobby on Harry's back, where are his clothes?

Julia: The location could be in a number of places: Gringotts, the Room of Requirement, at the house of some collector like Hepzibah Smith, the ministry (they must have a treasury), Mundungus's lair, a goblin armoury/workshop, trophy room in Hogwarts or Borgin and Burke's.
The red light in the arch may be fire, an explosion or curse, so it makes sense that the figures are diving away from it. Harry is definitely diving. Ron is also jumping away, somewhat awkwardly and Hermione is also diving a bit awkwardly. They don't have Harry's Quidditch reflexes, you see.
Dobby is clutching tightly to Harry, but the way he is holding the sword is like a call to arms, even though his eyes are squeezed tightly shut.
Clothing: Ron and Hermione have just been at some kind of party or formal occasion as the clothes they are wearing are rich in detail and like dress robes. This scene looks kinda climactic so I don't think is is immediately after Bill and Fleur's wedding. Harry is wearing plainer clothes but the right arm of his clothes looks a bit ornate or else badly worn. It's kinda blurred. They have just been in a fight.

5) Silvery stag consistent with descriptions of Harry's Patronus. It is lifting its head up and almost looks like it is smiling.

Lisa: for me, this is a symbol of hope that Harry will survive.

Bloomsbury adult edition
An oval gold locket laying on a background of dark stone. The locket has an engraved "S" that is studded with small cabochon green stones.

Julia: Last time (HBP) it was perplexing, but this time it is a real no-brainer. It shows Slytherin’s locket against a stone backdrop. The most perplexing thing about this is the backdrop as it may hint the location of the locket. I like the detail on the locket also. The emeralds make you think of the emeralds that were on the columns in the chamber of secrets, so it is definitely THE locket. What does the Adult UK cover tell us? The locket may mot be in any of the places that we have being speculating about

Lisa: Yes, I agree that it is definitely the Slytherin locket, although the stones look like turquoises to me. Something that seems odd to me is that if the Slytherin locket is the same locket found at 12 Grimmauld Place, why didn't Harry notice the big "S?" All we know about the Grimmauld locket is that it is heavy gold and that no one could open it.

Scholastic edition
Harry and Voldemort are in a ruined arena (colosseum? amphitheater?) open to a fiery sunset sky, wearing brown robes with their hands outstretched. Tattered rust-colored curtains frame the picture on both sides, and quite a few people appear to be watching. Both Voldemort and Harry are gazing up at the same point off to the upper right. Their hands are outstretched; Voldemort looks like he is warding something off and Harry looks like he is calling it to him. Neither one has a wand. Broken and possibly burned wooden beams are in the foreground. Harry is wearing something around his neck (detail below).

Description from David Saylor, Scholastic's art director: “The front cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows features a dramatic sky of oranges and golds. It depicts 17-year-old Harry with arm outstretched, reaching upward. The structures around Harry show evident destruction and in the shadows behind him, we see outlines of other people. For the first time the cover is a wrap-around. On the back cover spidery hands are outstretched towards Harry. Only when the book is opened does one see a powerful image of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his glowing red eyes peering out from his hood.” (Scholastic press release)

Lisa: I think that the "Deathly Hallows" is a place and that this is what it looks like. Harry and Voldemort are being tested and are not fighting each other. I would really love to know how Grindelwald died. The shadows watching are shadows of the dead, like a ghostly Wizengamot. The rubble is there simply because it is an ancient building.

Julia: I like the way Mary GranPré has depicted Harry. It’s a vast improvement on her earlier covers, bar OOTP, which is my now my second favorite of the US editions. He looks more manly than he did on the HBP cover.

The curtains: Although Mary GranPré has used curtains as a motif on earlier covers (PS/SS, fittingly enough!), I think it means more here. This is the last book, so it is figuratively and literally showing the final curtain or close of the series. It may show beyond the veil (see explanation below). This impression is heightened by the colour scheme which is like a sunset but also like some representations of the afterlife.

The rubble: An indication that a battle has just taken place. The final battle? Or it may refer to the wreckage of some familiar building such as Godric’s Hollow or Hogwarts, which would bring the story full circle.

The structure in the background: It looks like the railway bridge that is often shown in the films but it also looks like an arena of the Colosseum in Rome. Its classical looking anyway - and old - there is a large fissure running down it on one side.

The two main figures: What is interesting, considering that it is Voldemort & Harry, is that it is not very confrontational. Neither is holding a wand and they are both facing towards something outside of the scene and not each other.

Harry: Harry is half facing Voldemort, but it is evident that he is showing Voldemort something. Harry has a very focused look, like he is concentrating a bit, but it is evident from his face and his gesture that he welcomes whatever it is that he is showing Voldemort.

Voldemort: Voldemort is almost exactly the reverse. He has his arms and hands outstretched too, but he seems to be almost backing away from whatever it is and he seems to be fending it from himself = logical conclusion, it is either love or death, or something associated with an afterlife such as the departed. After all, you only have to look at LV’s reaction to priori incantatem to know that he would not welcome the reappearance of those he has killed.

More light on the title?: If I am right, the Scholastic cover shows the Deathly Hallows = the afterlife. The vague other figures in the background could therefore be those that have already died. Or they could be a collective crowd of whatever remains of the Death Eaters and the Order – but that is a more prosaic idea.