Artwork
On ne s'avise jamais de tout
On ne s'avise jamais de tout is an ink print by the Baroque artist Charles Emmanuel Patas. It dates from 1773 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1773, this black‑and‑white print by Charles Emmanuel Patas combines etching and engraving techniques. The work presents a domestic interior bustling with activity, rendered in fine linear detail that captures the atmosphere of an 18th‑century kitchen.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman kneeling at a table while cradling an infant, accompanied by another lady adjusting her hair before a mirror. A third figure peers through an open window, and a cat rests nearby. The arrangement suggests a moment of everyday household routine, hinting at the layered responsibilities and social interactions of the period.
Technique & Style
Patas employs crisp, intersecting lines to delineate clothing folds, the glow of a fireplace, and the texture of kitchenware. The contrast between sharply defined edges and softer shading conveys movement, such as the flowing dress and the cat’s attentive posture, while the overall linear precision typifies late‑Baroque printmaking.
History & Provenance
The print was produced in Paris during Patas’s active period as a printmaker. It has circulated in European collections since the late 18th century, appearing in several catalogues of French engravings before entering museum holdings in the early 20th century.
Context
Domestic scenes like this were popular in the Enlightenment era, reflecting a growing interest in everyday life and the moral dimensions of household order. Patas’s work aligns with contemporaneous genre prints that documented social customs through detailed observation.
Artist & collection
![Oriental Lovers [verso], by Anton Weiss](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anton-weiss--oriental-lovers-verso--7dd7ce6065811e69-w320.webp)
