This drawing is a cutaway depiction of the west side of the Folie de la Bouëxière, the estate future president James Monroe purchased on March 28, 1795 while serving as the United States Minister to France under President George Washington. This cutaway emphasizes the grandeur and scale of the main floor rooms, used by the Monroes to entertain, and the simplicity and utilitarian use of the ground floor rooms.

Monroe purchased the estate for 350,000 francs and lived there with wife Elizabeth, daughter Elizabeth "Eliza" Kortright Monroe, seven servants, a chef, a coachman, and a gardener for two years. The Monroes entertained at the estate, inviting a social circle that included other Americans and French officials.