E.H. Shepard Winnie the Pooh Artwork: Value Factors, Realized Prices & How to Sell

To auction, sell or consign your E.H. Shepard artwork, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (natedsanders.com).

Who Was E.H. Shepard?

E.H. Shepard was a children’s illustrator and author, who created artwork for some of the most cherished children’s stories, including Winnie-the-Pooh and The Wind in the Willows. Shepard’s collaboration with Winnie-the-Pooh creator, A.A. Milne, began in the 1920s when he illustrated some of Milne’s work for Punch Magazine. The first book the two collaborated on is the poetry book When We Were Very Young published in 1924.

Here’s Some E.H. Shepard Pooh Artwork We’ve Sold:

Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet Artwork — Sold for $85,000

Large artwork measuring 8″ x 7.5″ is rendered in watercolor, pencil and ink, likely created by Shepard for “The World of Pooh”, a collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories published in 1957 that included “The House at Pooh Corner”. It is one of the only color Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations made by Shepard in finished form, rather than a rough draft, that has ever come to auction. A smaller watercolor, titled “Christopher Robin’s Braces”, made for a magazine without content from one of the books, sold for over $100,000 in 2013. Interestingly, this artwork features titling in Italian on Owl’s sign, perhaps for an Italian edition of the book. Accompanied by original frame backing, signed by Shepard with his address and his handwritten title, “House at Pooh Corner / ‘A very grand thing’ / The trouble at Owls House”. Backing also contains a sticker from F.W. Charman & Sons, who exhibited Shepard’s work in Haslemere, England in 1965 where this piece was sold. Sold for $85,000.

Signed Winnie-the-Pooh Artwork — Sold for $78,750

Scarce Winnie-the Pooh artwork by E.H. Shepard, showing Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet as they appear on page 29 of A.A. Milne’s book, “The House at Pooh Corner” in Chapter II, “In which Tigger Comes to the Forest and has Breakfast”. Original Winnie-the-Pooh artwork by Shepard is scarce, even more so as published, with this illustration depicting the scene where Tigger takes a mouthful of thistle, unintentionally putting a bee in his mouth. Artwork is rendered in ink, with Chinese white corrections, on Neman’s Artist illustration board, and signed by Shepard at lower left. With the caption in pencil below the drawing, as it appears in “House at Pooh Corner”, reading, “‘Your friend,’ said Eeyore, ‘appears to have bitten on a bee.'” Illustration board measures 10.5″ x 6.875″ with drawing itself measuring approximately 7.25″ x 3.125″. Originally from the Mary K. Young illustration art collection. Sold for $78,750.

Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet Ink & Watercolor — Sold for $40,954

Beautifully rendered watercolor and ink drawing of Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet by E.H. Shepard, the illustrator chosen by A.A. Milne to bring his literary characters to life. Here, Shepard draws Pooh and Piglet upon a letter to his agent, allowing the characters to express his feelings of gratitude and joy. In the autograph letter signed, dated 29 February 1932, Shepard thanks his agent for a letter, writing that he has “done splendidly” and that “this view is shared by others.” To emphasize his feelings, Shepard draws Winnie-the-Pooh reaching up and Piglet excitedly jumping at his side. Shepard must have been very pleased with his agent, as he very seldom drew his most famous characters; this drawing, done early in the illustrator’s career and just a few years after the Pooh series, is a rare exception. Single page is written from Long Meadow, Guildford. Light uniform toning and mounted to card. Overall in very good to near fine condition. Sold for $40,954.

Artwork of Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet & Owl — Sold for $40,000

Beautifully rendered artwork of Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and Owl by illustrator E.H. Shepard, signed “EHS” at lower left. Original Shepard artwork from Winnie-the-Pooh is scarce in its own right, here even more so as from one of the Milne books, well-known by fans as from Chapter 8 of “The House at Pooh Corner”, titled “In Which Piglet Does a Very Grand Thing”. After Owl’s tree house becomes dislodged by the wind, Piglet is shown here being hoisted up by Winnie-the-Pooh to squeeze through the letter box while Owl looks on.

Artwork measuring 7.875″ x 3.75″ is rendered in watercolor, pencil and ink, likely created by Shepard for “The World of Pooh”, a collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories published in 1957 that included “The House at Pooh Corner”. It is one of the only color Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations made by Shepard in finished form, rather than a rough draft, that has ever come to auction. A much smaller watercolor of Pooh and Piglet drawn on a letter to Shepard’s agent, without content from one of the books, was sold by us in 2012 for over $40,000. Artwork on Winsor & Newton watercolor board measures 10.5″ x 6″, titled at bottom “‘up we go’ said Pooh”, also with notation “No 4 House at Pooh Corner p. 285 / 17224” in pencil, and notes for framing in ink. In addition to his signature on artwork, Shepard also signs the back of the board, with his address. Minute uniform toning but overall near fine with bright coloring. Originally sold by Shepard at an exhibition by F.W. Charman & Sons in Haslemere, England in 1965. Sold for $40,000.

Pencil Drawing of Christopher Robin — Sold for $10,500

Drawing by Winnie-the-Pooh illustrator E.H. Shepard of Christopher Robin, titled “Christopher Robin with Railings”. Preliminary pencil drawing measuring approximately 3″ x 5.25″ shows Christopher Robin carrying an animal. Framed to 11″ x 12.75″. With label on back of frame from Sally Hunter Fine Art Limited, who exhibited Shepard’s artwork in December 1988 where this was sold. Not examined out of frame, drawing appears lightly toned, in very good to near fine condition. Sold for $10,500.

Thanks for viewing some of our E.H. Shepard artwork! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Learn about some of the A.A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh books we’ve sold.

FAQs

How do I consign or sell my E.H. Shepard artwork?
It’s never been easier to sell your E.H. Shepard artwork at Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Email a description and photos of your item to [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible with a free appraisal.

This sounds great and I’d like to move forward. What’s the consignment process like at Nate D. Sanders Auctions?
We’ll send you more information about our auction house along with an agreement for your review. Your item will appear in our next auction. Unlike many auction houses, we hold monthly auctions and pay you within an industry-leading 45 days post auction.

What factors determine the value of E.H. Shepard artwork?
The value of your artwork can vary based on condition, subject matter and medium used.