In the gallery of the Palais-Royal, Year VIII - 1800

This plate depicts a scene in the galleries of the Palais-Royal on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. The Palais-Royal was built in 1624 by Cardinal Richelieu and bequeathed to the royal family. Later, the gardens and galleries of the Palais-Royal became a social and political center, housing gambling dens and cafes. The women in the foreground is dressed in typical neo-classical style with a flowing, white empire-waste dress and a bonnet. Typically, these dresses were low-cut and were worn with bare arms or long gloves. The women in the background wear a variety of light colored and simple robes, indicative of the rejection of ostentatious luxury associated with the 'ancien regime.'