Isaac Newton Academy pupil painting goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s

Harry Taak's Minotaur (Image: Archant)

It’s not often an 11-year-old’s art would be eligible to be put on the wall at home, let alone go under the hammer at Sotheby’s auction house.

But one painting, Minotaur, by Isaac Newton Academy pupil Harry Taak, now 13, has been auctioned off by one of the world’s largest art brokers.

Harry’s work – painted when he was 11 – was due to be sold off last night (Wed) alongside 16 other pieces of art submitted by schools across the country.

The total money raised – expected to be around the £1million mark – will go to improving young people’s arithmetic skills.

Harry painted Minotaur after learning of the mythical creature, which has the head of a bull and a body of man, in class at the secondary school in Cricklefield Place, Ilford. “I was really overjoyed when I heard Sotheby’s had accepted it,” said Harry. “The school made quite a big deal out of it by mentioning it at an assembly.”

Harry, who has chosen to study art at GCSE, said he was inspired to pick up a paint brush by his father, a graphic designer.

Although he admitted he had not heard of Sotheby’s when he did the painting two years ago, he has since learnt all about the auction house.

“We have now been learning about how art can be a career [path] in class,” said Harry, whose favourite artist is Jackson Pollock.

“I want to do something with creativity. My parents were really proud of me because my dad taught me when I was younger.”

The auction included stellar artists David Hockney, Michael Craig-Martin and Henry Moore.

Isaac Newton’s principal, Rachel Macfarlane, said she wishes to expose students to “great role models” and “successful practitioners”.

“So they are not just hearing about them,” she added. “They can then ask them questions and hear their answers.”