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Things You Need to Know About Harry Potter Art—Beyond the Magic!
- Sutithi
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Whether you are 14 or 40, 10 or 60, the obsession called "Harry Potter" is almost legendary.
Readers of the Harry Potter books can hardly resist the Muggles, Squibs, Muggle-born wizards, Mudbloods, Parseltongue, Animagi, Death Eaters, and more complex wizarding terms of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is like a fever that gripped the world two decades ago and is still going strong.
Many of us who have watched the Harry Potter movies know what sort of mind-boggling things happen in Hogwarts. True, the school doesn’t exist, but its magic really does.
Interesting to note that the writer J.K. Rowling once read about the term ‘hogwort’ plant in some old references. That is how Hogwarts was introduced in her captivating narrative.
If you have been watching Harry Potter movies closely, you must've noticed something beyond the hypnotic saga, or have you missed it?
There's a great deal of Harry Potter art, including Harry Potter paintings and historical architectural references beyond the magical acts.
Have you noticed the aesthetic of the sets? Replica of the old masterpieces of Western art, or world-renowned tapestries, or the sculptures?
Why were Oxford College, Christ Church Hall, or the Castles of Northern England chosen as locations?
What messages are hidden behind the artistry and the iconic architecture?
In this blog, we will look into the other side of the Harry Potter franchise, which has a subtle yet deep connection to art history. Let’s add a new chapter to the Potter mania!
Can You Spot the Hidden Art References in Harry Potter Movies?
The magical school of Hogwarts feels like a museum, borrowing from rich and artistic references from Renaissance portraits, medieval tapestries, Norman architecture, and monastic and late Gothic structures.
Even costume design has a historical feel to it, featuring Victorian attire, academic gowns, and medieval cloaks. The magic wands are handcrafted with vintage wooden structures. Hogwarts art includes everything from archaic architecture, paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and Renaissance occult illustrations.
Watch out for the Lookalike Classical Paintings in the Potter Movies
Harry Potter paintings include the Portrait of Anne Boleyn in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 'The Vitruvian Man' by Leonardo da Vinci in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Escher’s Staircase in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The Vitruvian Man
In the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the masterpiece of da Vinci, ‘The Vitruvian Man,' has been transformed into a nocturnal beast! In a school of wizardry, we can only think of the unusual.
In the movie, we see Harry return to his third term at Hogwarts while the news of a dangerous prisoner, Sirius Black, escaping from Azkaban prison baffles everyone. Harry eventually learns the truth that Black was not the evil werewolf; it was someone else in disguise—Professor Remus Lupin.
The illustration of Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man with its outstretched arms and legs inspires students to study werewolves.
Escher’s Staircase ‘Relativity’
Refer to the Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher’s art ‘Relativity,’ a sketch of staircases that shows the impossible ending as if they'd never meet. The geometric art of the mysterious staircases fits perfectly with Hogwarts' magical spells, showing a movable staircase inspired by the woodcut design of M.C. Escher.
Portrait of Anne Boleyn
Another significant art reference in the movie from 2001, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, shows the celebrated portrait of Anne Boleyn, who was the second wife of King Henry VII, who beheaded Anne, alleging adultery.
Her portrait was kept as a close reference to a witch, while in the movie, she is portrayed as a squib (a witch or wizard who cannot perform magic herself). Beyond her reputation as a witch, Anne’s beauty was more than enough to lure her admirers, including her husband, King Henry VII.
The Fat Lady
The Fat Lady, guarding the Gryffindor common room, resembles aristocratic portraits of royal women with elaborate attire and jewelry.
Lookalike Renaissance Paintings by Master Artists
The old masterpieces that hang on the walls of Hogwarts feature dark backgrounds with dramatic lighting, using the art of Chiaroscuro. Some portraits imitate the realistic facial expressions painted by master painters like Hans Holbein the Younger and Titian.
That's how Harry Potter is inspired by art history and borrows from canonical art to enrich its visual storytelling.
Where Was the Hogwarts Castle Filmed?
The Hogwarts castle in the Harry Potter films looks similar to the monastic architectural complexes of the 12th century. The GREAT HALL of the school resembles the earliest built halls in the Middle Ages. The dining halls in medieval monasteries were adopted into royal chambers.
What Were the Architectural References?
The religious, cathedral-inspired architecture of the Hogwarts School lends it prestige and esteem, as if it had existed for a long time.
In the Great Hall of Hogwarts –
The four longitudinal tables where Harry and his schoolmates assemble represent the four different houses.
They lead us to the high table, where the Hogwarts professors are seated.
The throne just behind the high table, where Professor Dumbledore sits, resembles the thrones of the great monarchs.
This Great Hall resembles the halls of Oxford or Cambridge University colleges, based on the monastic architectural styles.
The movie setting must be inspired by Christ Church Hall and Oxford College halls, giving Hogwarts School an unmistakable air of superiority and authority.
What is So Special About the Gryffindor Common Room
The beautifully colored, red walls of the Gryffindor common room hang the old master paintings, with a cozy and inviting fireplace to insulate the room. The elaborate and beautiful chandelier recalls the Byzantine designs.
Great Pieces of Tapestries Shown in the Common Room
The red walls also showcase world-renowned tapestries, like ‘The Lady and the Unicorn.' This is one of the extremely valuable tapestries of the 15th century that still exists today. The tapestries are actually shown as wallpapers in the Hogwarts rooms. The theme of unicorns was chosen because unicorns are mentioned in the Harry Potter movies, along with other mythical creatures.
Tapestry ‘The Unicorn in Captivity’ Shown as a Symbol in the Movie
The film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has another reference to the unicorn tapestries. A replica of the late 15th-century tapestry ‘The Unicorn in Captivity’ can be shown in the corridors of Hogwarts.
In the Middle Ages, unicorns were captured as part of holy hunts. In the film, we see Draco Malfoy looking intensely at a replica of the unicorn tapestry that symbolizes captivity, redemption, and sacrifice.
Malfoy is portrayed as a rival of Harry Potter in the movie. The original unicorn tapestry can be viewed at the Met Cloisters in New York.
What about Professor McGonagall’s Dance Classroom?
In Professor McGonagall’s classroom, the arches resemble the architecture of the Norman period, around the time England was conquered in the late 11th century. The cathedral room is converted into a classroom in the Harry Potter movie, featuring interlocking arches, showing the English fascination with linear architectural forms.
The Hallways of Hogwarts Are No Less Intriguing!
The hallways of Hogwarts feature beautiful and mighty stone vaults. The hallways were filmed at the Gloucester Cathedral, famous for its decorative vaults. With these decorative vaults, the Hogwarts corridors play a vital role in the movie, adding an air of mystery and spells.
The first two films, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, were shot in Alnwick Castle in Northern England, which now belongs to the Duke of Northumberland, Hugh Percy.
His family has owned this castle since the 14th century. We see Harry and his classmates using the castle premises for flying lessons.
All of this makes Hogwarts look like an old institution with a living history.
Next Time, Don’t Miss the Harry Potter Art Behind the Spells!
Whoever is familiar with the Harry Potter world knows a whole host of magic incantations, like "stupefy," "reparo," "lumos," "expecto patronum,'' or ''alohomora"—and many more. Even a kid next door would tell you a lot about them.
But behind the blood-curdling spells and amazing enchantments, there is a world that borrows from the historical references, be it art, architecture, alchemy, and beyond.
Next time you sit down to watch them, explore the hidden artistic clues inspired by classical art, which will tell you a lot about the world of Professor Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter himself.
That’s the beauty of the Potter movies: to blend myths with magic and the historic with the fantastic.
