In addition to his twelve etchings for Ambroise Vollard’s publication of Balzac’s Le chef-d’oeuvre inconnu, Picasso also provided a pictorial table of contents at the end of the book. Etched in 1931 as an avis au relieur, or instructions for the bookbinder, this table of contents assigns numbers to schematic renderings of the etchings commissioned for the book. In practical terms, the avis was meant to guide the binder in placing each etching in its correct order. This idea originated with Vollard, who wanted to ensure that the images would progress according to the logic of Balzac’s text. Picasso’s pictorial avis, however, does not correspond to Balzac or Vollard’s order. It develops independently, telling a different story with a mind, and a hand, of its own.