The Versatile Master Artist

Kelly didn’t hesitate much and chose to agree.

”Indeed a giant level commercial empire, so rich, they’ve actually set up such a large physical bookstore in the Financial Mansion!”

Kelly looked at the storefront ahead, which seemed indistinguishable from the chain bookstore near her school, and clicked her tongue in amazement.

”Welcome, volunteers. Please queue up orderly for entry. Before entering, please collect your task card from the market department staff in grey uniforms!”

The staff with a megaphone directed everyone to enter.

When it was Kelly’s turn to enter,

The staff glanced at Kelly’s age and gender and handed her a blue tote basket, allowing her to randomly pick an envelope from it.

[Scenario Setting: You are a young girl who loves art and literature, and Christmas holiday is coming next week. You plan to buy a copy of ”The Little Prince” from the bookstore as a Christmas gift for your boyfriend.]

[Budget: 40 pounds (only one book can be selected!)]

[Please complete your selection within twenty minutes.]

The Little Prince?

The task card she drew was finely crafted, setting up a relevant scenario for volunteers to better immerse themselves in a real purchasing experience.

”Looks like the rumors about the Scholastic Group releasing a new edition of ’The Little Prince’ are true. Is this a preliminary market survey? I wonder which illustrator is behind it.”

Kelly pondered this thought.

The twenty minutes were not too tight. She first took a lap around this sizable ”bookstore” and even requested a free Americano at the bookstore’s bar.

”Merry Christmas, Miss.”

The marketing department guy temporarily acting as a barista was very attentive. Even though it was early spring, he still said a Christmas greeting, and the bookstore played the holiday song ”Jingle Bells.”

After a round,

Kelly actually felt a bit involved in the scenario of picking a Christmas gift for her boyfriend.

”The Little Prince... If I were to choose one as a gift, I’d probably choose the classic version by Townesman.”

Kelly only had an impression of this version of ”The Little Prince” before.

She remembered the deluxe edition by Townesman being very beautifully printed, with the original cover illustrations by Saint-Exupéry.

Indeed, it was a great choice for young literary fans choosing a holiday gift.

”I wonder if the new edition by the Scholastic Group can amaze me enough to make me change my mind.”

Kelly thought as she turned toward the children’s literature section.

On the first shelf, in the most conspicuous position, was placed a new-style ”The Little Prince” she had never seen before.

[Title: The Little Prince]

[Original Author: Saint-Exupéry (France)]

[

[Illustrator: Jan M. Verlinden (United Kingdom)]

Kelly instantly recognized the cover illustration of ”The Little Prince” as an extremely exquisite and meticulously crafted watercolor painting.

”It’s actually by artist Verlinden, and it looks pretty decent!”

With a renowned painter like Verlinden creating the illustrations, Kelly understood the confidence of the Scholastic Group in challenging Townesman’s classic edition of ”The Little Prince.”

The art world experiences dry spells and floods.

With AI art taking away jobs, small illustrators’ incomes have sharply decreased, but the reputation of a top-tier painter like Verlinden remains a guarantee of quality.

The brilliant brushwork of an illustration artist and the harmony with the original work’s soul is something cold AI cannot compare with.

Kelly could even be considered a semi-fan of Verlinden.

In her sophomore year, she specifically wrote a sincere cover letter hoping for a summer internship at their illustration studio, but regrettably, it received no response.

This didn’t affect Kelly’s admiration for Mr. Verlinden. She even queued overnight to purchase Verlinden’s commemorative art book ”Green Wilderness.”

This illustration, compared to Mr. Verlaine’s past works, also belonged to the very meticulous category.

Similarly portraying the scene of the little prince sitting on the beach looking at the stars as Saint-Exupéry did, Verlinden was significantly more professional.

He swept away the flaws of an unprofessional artist,

Verlinden completely restructured the composition of the picture, using a golden ratio akin to a professional portrait, depicting a spirited young noble sitting with arms wrapped around his knees.

Moreover, he utilized the realistic advantages of watercolor, rendering the little prince’s facial features in a three-dimensional and exquisite manner, exponentially more handsome than the childish doodles of merely adding a pair of eyes and a nose typical in Saint-Exupéry’s style.

It could easily serve as a mobile wallpaper for teenage girls.

Kelly’s eyes lit up at first but then she hesitated.

”This is an excellent illustration... but is it really the little prince?” After the initial fondness, such a thought involuntarily arose in her mind.

Kelly squatted down and took out a Townesman’s classic version of ”The Little Prince” from the lower shelf for comparison.

The composition of the classic version of ”The Little Prince” was much less professional.

The sky stretched far, the desert wilderness, with the image of the little prince occupying only a small part of the picture.