Desert Whispers and Auction Surprises: The Little Prince’s Watercolor Odyssey

A single watercolor from The Little Prince, painted by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry himself, recently soared to nearly $380,000 at a Christie’s auction—far outpacing its original estimate. This 1942 scene, where the Little Prince meets a snake in the Sahara, is not just a collector’s dream; it’s a rare survivor from the handful of original illustrations tied to the book’s first edition. Such pieces seldom appear on the market, making each sale a minor cultural event. The fascination isn’t just about nostalgia—these images were crafted during Saint-Exupéry’s wartime exile in the United States, adding layers of longing and resilience to their charm. The author never saw the global embrace of his creation, but each auction rekindles the quiet magic of his desert tales. Even decades later, the Little Prince still finds new ways to surprise the world. #TheLittlePrince #ArtAuctions #SaintExupery