Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944)
An original sketch of the Little Prince on his planet, [1942]
275 x 215 mm. Pen and India ink, on American ‘Fidelity Onion Skin’ paper. Numbered 133 in the top right corner of the page, filing holes in the margin. Provenance: Sotheby’s, 9 May 1985, 376.

A beautiful original sketch of the Little Prince on his planet, an early version of the iconic ‘Little Prince on Asteroid B-612’ image, one of the most enduring compositions of the book. This composition is among the most famous linked to the book, especially because it was, and still is, frequently used as the main cover or jacket art for later editions.

While evidently a sketch of this composition, some key elements are already in place: the curvature of the planet, and the bow tie of the titular character.

Literature: For a similar composition, see Alban Cerisier, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Dessins. Aquarelles, pastels, plumes et crayons, cat. 230, reproduced page 161. Our proposed date for the present drawing is based on this comparable.

[With:] A Western Union telegram from Saint-Exupéry to his wife. One page.