A group of 28 working illustrations from the award-winning book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by illustrator Charlie Makesy, is being offered in a selling exhibition by Sotheby’s. I’ve loved his illustrations for many years, first following the artist on Instagram and Facebook. Although many of the drawings have already been sold, just the chance to review them is a pleasure.

“We are all a Work in Progress” is the first selling exhibition since the book’s publication in 2019.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has won several awards for British artist Charlie Mackesy, Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2021. Mackesy was also amongst the winners of the 2020 Nielsen Bestseller Awards, with the book achieving Platinum status.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was named Book of the Year by both Barnes & Noble and Waterstones, and was shortlisted for the British Book Awards Non-fiction Lifestyle Book of the Year in 2020.

“These delicately rendered illustrations in ink and watercolor give an insight into the sensitivity and relatability of the little world in the book which, in today’s heightened awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing, acts as an important reminder to readers of all ages,” Sotheby’s said.

The selling exhibition runs until June 28. Various works by the artist will feature throughout Sotheby’s Jubilee Celebrations.

Mackesy began his career as a cartoonist for The Spectator, before becoming a book illustrator for Oxford University Press. His award-winning work has featured in books, private collections, galleries and public spaces around the world. Interestingly, Mackesy has no formal education in art, but spent three month in the US working with a portrait painter. His insightful and inspirational drawings have brightened many people’s days, including my own.