Raymond Peynet (1908–1999) was a French illustrator and cartoonist best known for Les Amoureux de Peynet, the tender young couple he created in 1942, inspired by a music pavilion in Valence.

With his delicate line, gentle humour and unmistakably romantic spirit, Peynet created a poetic world celebrating love and everyday tenderness. His famous lovers became an icon of post-war French popular culture, appearing on everything from books and posters to porcelain, jewellery, dolls and postage stamps.

In this witty drawing, Raymond Peynet plays on the double meaning of the French word agent. A young man stands in a field plucking the petals from a flower, surrounded by an improbable procession of identically dressed men who appear to be policemen or officials. The caption — “Un agent…, deux agents…, trois agents…, pas d’agents !” — humorously transforms the familiar “il m’aime, un peu, beaucoup…” flower-petal game into an absurd counting rhyme. With a few simple lines, Peynet combines visual poetry, wordplay and gentle surrealism, turning an ordinary romantic ritual into a charmingly nonsensical scene.