John Wootton, one of the earliest native English painters, was extensively patronised by the Royal family during the reign of George II: Queen Caroline visited his studio in 1732, by which time he was already working for her son, Frederick, Prince of Wales.

In 1719 Lady Archibald Hamilton bought Park Place estate near Henley and built a (now-demolished) country house. Lady Hamilton’s friend, Frederick, Prince of Wales, acquired the house in 1738. This is one of three landscapes (OM 548-50, RCIN 406898, 400505 and 400507) depicting the house and its surrounding country, which were seen at Buckingham House by Horace Walpole, who said that the paintings were done for Lady Hamilton when she had Park Place ‘or after she sold it to the late Prince, who is walking with the Princess and her in one of them’ (this could refer to either RCIN 400505 or 400507). Given the probably date of the paintings (1742-3) it is likely that these were painted for Frederick, Prince of Wales or conceivable for Lady Hamilton as a gift for the current owner of Park Place.

This scene is obviously looking away from the estate towards the river Thames and the town of Henley, which appears at the centre of the valley plain. In the foreground a party of ladies and gentlemen have presumably driven from the estate in an open carriage with women and children next to which the Prince of Wales and his entourage ride. They are attended by huntsmen with hawks. The effect is the opposite of many views of this type and date which show the country house as centre of all activities - like a sort of human bee-hive. Here we see beyond the leisure of the foreground hunting party to farms, labourers in the fields and the important trading town of Henley.