After 80 Years, The Little Prince makes his New York City Homecoming

Since Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s beloved novella The Little Prince was published in 1943, generations of children—and with them, generations of adults—have fallen under its spell. In honor of the book’s 80th anniversary, the prince himself will soon be making his grand return to Manhattan. On September 20, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna unveiled a bronze sculpture depicting the whimsical traveler at the garden entrance of Villa Albertine, located at 972 Fifth Avenue. This project by French sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas was spearheaded by the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, in partnership with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation.

The four-foot-tall sculpture was carved from clay and cast in bronze in one single piece at the sculptor’s studio in Normandy, France. The Little Prince will be perched on the garden wall of the historic Payne Whitney Mansion, facing Fifth Avenue passers-by at eye level. A Gilded Age architectural masterpiece built by Stanford White from 1902–1906, the building was acquired by France in the 1950s, and now serves as the New York City headquarters of Villa Albertine.

The Little Prince is the most translated work of literature of all time, published in more than 550 languages and dialects to date. But few people know that The Little Prince was conjured into existence in New York City and in Northport, Long Island, where Antoine de Saint Exupéry lived from 1940 to 1943. The Morgan Library holds the original manuscript in its collection.

While dozens of plaques and statues around the world commemorate the novelist, this statue will be the first of its kind in Manhattan, a borough that Saint Exupéry left just weeks before the book’s publication. From New York City, he sailed to North Africa with one advance copy of the fable in his bag; fifteen months later, he disappeared at the controls of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning during a reconnaissance mission over occupied France during World War II, in the service of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces under the command of American General Ira C. Eaker.

The mission of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français is to honor exemplary French citizens and promote French culture in the United States. Hence their decision to commemorate Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s literary triumph and entrust this project to renowned French sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas. In his work, de Pas explores grace, linear harmony, and the expression of the inner self. Over the past 30 years, he has created numerous public monuments, including the bust of Saint Exupéry on display at the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget.

“The Little Prince – a beloved cultural icon across the world and the perfect embodiment of France’s shared history with the U.S. – will be right at home on Manhattan’s famous Fifth Avenue. 80 years after the publication of this timeless classic, we are delighted to welcome the Little Prince to Villa Albertine, where thousands of visitors come every month to attend literary events and browse the shelves of Albertine Books. Now when they arrive, they will be greeted by this monument to cultural exchanges, creativity, and exploration – values that underpin everything that we do. The French Embassy constantly strives to highlight remarkable stories like this one that celebrate the close societal and cultural ties between France and the U.S.” – Laurent Bili, Ambassador of France to the USA.

“We are all very proud that the Little Prince will now have a fitting presence in the city of his birth. This loving sculpture will undoubtedly delight New Yorkers and tourists of all origins, who will be able to sit next to him and gaze with him towards the stars. Some eighty years later, the Little Prince stands tall as a universal symbol of peace, wisdom, and care for our planet.” – Thierry Chaunu, President of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français.

“New York is a city known for its diversity, its mix of different cultures. The Little Prince is a tale that celebrates the importance of such diversity and mutual understanding, which reminds us that as humans we are all connected, even if we come from different backgrounds. This statue is a symbol of Franco-American friendship, of France’s contribution to the universal values of the Little Prince. It will be an invitation for people walking on Fifth Avenue to sit by the Little Prince’s side, especially New York children.” – Jean-Hugues Monier, Board Member of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français and member of the sculpture’s Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee for the sculpture project is composed of Thierry Chaunu, Jean-Hugues Monier, and Francis Dubois, respectively President and Board Members of the American Society of Le Souvenir Français, as well as Nicolas Delsalle-Mun, Delegate General of the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation. The Honorary Committee is co-chaired by Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of a biography on Antoine de Saint Exupéry, and Olivier d’Agay, great-nephew of Antoine de Saint Exupéry and Secretary General of the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation. As an official partner of this project, Air France transported this sculpture of The Little Prince from Paris to New York.

A model of The Little Prince sculpture by Jean-Marc de Pas before casting in Normandy, France