Windsor Castle, St. George's Chapel: Prospect of the Choir, from the West (from Elias Ashmole's "The Order of the Garter," 1672) 1663

Wenceslaus Hollar created this print of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle as part of Elias Ashmole's book on the Order of the Garter, published in 1672. It invites us to consider the social and institutional functions of art in the context of the English monarchy. The image presents a meticulously detailed view of the Chapel's interior, emphasizing its Gothic architecture and the banners of the Knights of the Garter. This chivalric order, founded in the 14th century, represents the apex of aristocratic power and royal patronage. Hollar’s print, made in the wake of the English Civil War and the Restoration, visually reinforces the continuity and legitimacy of the monarchy and its associated institutions. The Order of the Garter was, and remains, deeply embedded in English social and political life. To fully understand this print, we might consult historical records, architectural surveys, and genealogical studies. By doing so, we recognize that art is not created in a vacuum but is instead contingent on specific social and institutional contexts.