IN middle age Delacroix harboured no illusions about Alexandre Dumas' literary talents and dreaded his visits in search of material for his Memoirs. Nevertheless, he often found his writings entertaining, had an obvious affection for the man and admired his irrepressible energy in the face of adversity. Fairly characteristic critical judgements are to be found in Delacroix's Journal on 17th October 1853: 'qu'est-ce que Dumas... 

'Je compose en ce moment un dessin meuble representant des sites de la vallee de Munster', wrote the Alsatian textile designer Henri Lebert (1794-1862). in his Journal, on 18th June 1815. The Hartmann factory, at Munster (Alsace), for which he worked, then sent his preparatory study for this furnishing fabric, to Paris, to Jean-Jacques Karpff (better known as Casimir Karpff), a pupil of David, who was working on the cartoon for the cotton printing in January 1816.