La Route de Lillebonne (The Road to Lillebonne) (Furnishing Fashion) after 1822

Horace Vernet designed this furnishing fashion textile titled, *The Road to Lillebonne*, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The scene depicts a hunting party with horse-drawn carts. We can consider the image in relation to class, labor, and leisure. This monochromatic textile presents an idealised rural scene, referencing the leisure activities of the elite, hunting with dogs. Yet, it was created in an era of nascent industrialization, when the division of labor was becoming more pronounced. The elite had more leisure time, enabled by the labor of others. This textile, intended for interior decoration, reflects this social hierarchy, portraying a lifestyle that only a few could enjoy. To gain a deeper understanding of the textile, we might consider archival material relating to French social history of the period. By understanding these historical contexts we can better understand how it comments on the social structures of its time.