Perrette et le pot au lait

Perrette and the Milk Jug (c. 1770), in the Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris, illustrates La Fontaine's fable about the milkmaid who daydreams about the profits from her milk jug, only to spill it through her distraction. Fragonard renders this moral tale with characteristic charm and visual wit, the milkmaid's daydream depicted with the same sensuous warmth he brought to his amorous subjects. The painting demonstrates Fragonard's engagement with literary illustration, a significant aspect of his career that also included illustrations for Orlando Furioso and Don Quixote.

Fragonard captures the narrative moment with characteristic economy, using flowing brushwork to convey the milkmaid's forward momentum and the impending disaster of her spilled milk.