ideological meanings of genre painting were more complex than this implies. The choice of theme was of central importance; the contrast between images of city and country was crucial. Likewise, the treatment of the subject—the rhetor- ical devices used to express its meanings—might transform its significance. The same subject might carry diametrically opposed meanings and associations depending upon the way in which it was presented. In order to locate La Promenade in relation to these issues, we must focus more closely on its subject and treatment and examine it in the context of the range of alternative conventions current at the time, paying particular atten- tion to the artistic, social, political, and ideological associations these conven- tions brought with them at this particular historical moment. 23