A la Rencontre du Petit Prince, the compelling exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs - Our pictures

Here is an exhibition likely to make children and adults dream: from February 17 to June 26, 2022, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs invites you to meet The Little Prince.

Sharpen your pencils, you will have to train to draw sheep before you go to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris: the institution hosts an exhibition paying tribute to one of the most popular novellas in the world, The Little Prince. From Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novellas to hundreds of translations available, to drawings and references to the iconic character, the “A la rencontre du Petit Prince” exhibition is packed with many treasures for everyone touched by this timeless story.

With this exclusive exhibition, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs aims at delivering Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s human and hopeful message, a message echoing in the whole world for about 80 years.

The “A la rencontre du Petit Prince” exhibition starts with the life of the author, this French writer and aviator who marked child’s literature for ever with timeless and irreplaceable work of art. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s life is told through his writings: each story, each drawing hides an element of the author’s life. His texts unveil the philosophy this poet has always seen in the world through his child eyes.

A part of the exhibition perfectly shines a light on Saint-Exupéry’s second love: aviation. His adventures are told through unique tales to discover at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

And one cannot speak of The Little Prince or Saint-Exupéry without speaking of drawing! The exhibition gathers many pictural pieces created by the French artist himself, drawings found in letters, sketches, notebooks, novel manuscripts…

His youth, striking moments in his life, his friends and loves… over 600 pieces have been gathered together to shine a light on the many facets of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. By revealing the mysteries of the author, one discovers everything hiding behind The Little Prince, this child’s story that hit so many adults.

The rooms of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs - especially reorganized and decorated for the exhibition - take us to Saint-Exupéry's world. Murals, movies, trompe-l'oeil, presentation tables, audible reading of the novel, the artist's own objects... The "A la rencontre du Petit Prince" exhibition is as impressive when it comes to the shape and topic. We are captivated by this course, unveiling step by step the creative process of this world-famous piece of art.

And the highlight of the exhibition: the display of the original manuscript of The Little Prince, usually kept at the New York Morgan Library & Museum. The manuscript is shown for the first time in Paris. Discover never-before-seen originals from a collection that has never been open to the public so far.

Admire watercolors, sketches, drawings, as well as photographs, poems, clippings and abstracts from his letters!

Finish your oh-so interesting tour packed with emotions and discoveries with the heritage left by The Little Prince. This story has been translated into almost 500 languages and dialects across the world: the exhibition shines a light on 120 foreign editions picked from this wide library available.