On ne s'avise jamais du tout, from "Contes et nouvelles en vers par Jean de La Fontaine. A Paris, de l'imprimerie de P. Didot, l'an III de la République, 1795" 1795

"On ne s'avise jamais du tout," an etching by Jean-Baptiste Patas (1744–1802) created in 1795, depicts a chaotic scene. A woman kneels in front of a fireplace as smoke fills the room. Another woman reacts with dismay, while a man, perhaps her husband, gestures angrily as he leaps away from the fire. The illustration's dynamic composition and expressive figures capture the moment of a household accident, highlighting the absurdity and unexpected nature of life. The print, part of an illustrated edition of Jean de La Fontaine's "Contes et nouvelles en vers," served as a visual representation of the humorous, satirical tales within the book. "On ne s'avise jamais du tout," an etching by Jean-Baptiste Patas, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection in New York.