On ne s'avise jamais de tout 1761

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin etched this scene, capturing a fleeting moment with the immediacy of a sketch. Dominating the composition is the motif of figures in arrested action. Notice the gestures of conflict on the left versus the more composed figures on the right. Across time, we see these archetypal gestures. In antiquity, the aggressive stance appears in battle scenes, while the embrace has roots in depictions of classical reconciliation. Saint-Aubin's contemporaries would have readily associated the figures on the left with themes of disorder and the figures on the right with order and reason. There’s a tension embedded within this image, almost like an echo of the past—a collective memory—plays out in the actions of these figures. It’s the timeless human drama of conflict and resolution. A drama, etched in our minds as much as on this plate, engaging our emotions on a deep, subconscious level. And so, the dance of symbols continues, resurfacing and evolving, each time imbued with new meaning.