The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

‘Little Prince’ sketches found in Swiss house

picture of the petit prince
The Little Prince, published more than 70 years ago, has been translated into hundreds of languages and dialects and is one of the best selling books worldwide. Keystone / Francois Mori

A treasure trove of sketches from the French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who wrote the classic book The Little Prince, have been found in a house in the northeastern Swiss city of Winterthur, claims an art foundation.

One of the sketches shows the boa constrictor that swallowed an elephant but looks like a hat in the eyes of an adult. Colour sketches were also found of the little prince with the fox and of the drunkard whom the little prince visits on his planet, plus a love letter from Saint-Exupéry to his wife.

Published in 1943, the book has been translated into multiple languages and has sold tens of millions of copies. It is the story of an interstellar traveller who arrives on Earth in search of friendship and understanding.

The drawings were bought in an auction in the 1980s by art collector Bruno Stefanini, who set up the Foundation for Art, Culture and HistoryExternal link in Winterthur, and died last December. They lay unnoticed in his house until being recently discovered amid a pile of autographs from historical figures.

The foundation describes them as being in “surprisingly good condition”, although they are not dated. It has yet to decide whether they will go on public display but plans to show them to the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, which houses sketches and the original manuscript for the book.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

In some Swiss regions, less than half the normal amount of precipitation has fallen so far.

More

Swiss rivers and lakes remain low as dry weather persists

This content was published on The start of the year has been far too dry for Switzerland's rivers and lakes. Some of them have fallen to record levels, and the situation is not about to improve, warned MeteoNews on Tuesday.

Read more: Swiss rivers and lakes remain low as dry weather persists
Finma wants to be able to intervene before crises arise

More

Swiss financial watchdog demands more powers

This content was published on The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is calling for legal changes to enable it to intervene early on if banks violate corporate governance rules.

Read more: Swiss financial watchdog demands more powers
Record-breaking Bocion sold at Basel auction for $270,250

More

François Bocion painting fetches record at Swiss auction

This content was published on The oil painting La chasse aux grèbes by Lausanne artist François Bocion (1828-1890) fetched a record CHF270,250 ($315,530) at an auction in Basel in early April, the highest price ever paid for one of his works.

Read more: François Bocion painting fetches record at Swiss auction
House price rises accelerate

More

Swiss property prices continue to climb

This content was published on The prices of owner-occupied properties continued to rise in the first three months of 2025. But large regional disparities remain.

Read more: Swiss property prices continue to climb

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR