Framed: 17 x 22 1/2 in. (43.2 x 57.2 cm)
Louise Ingram Rayner British, 1832-1924
Set on the Windsor Town Bridge end of Eton High Steet, pictured here are several Eton College students (Etonians), assumedly on the morning of the Fourth of June - the annual summer open day that celebrates the birthday of King George III. Pictured bottom left are six boys selecting carnations to wear in their buttonholes, as is the tradition of the day, while elsewhere in the scene are further students, as well as "beaks" (teachers) - recognisable by their mortar boards - alongside traders, driving their horse drawn carts, and elegantly dressed women, perusing the clothing shops found on the High Street.
Although none of the businesses visible in the present work are currently in operation, the buildings that line the road are recognisable today, and the High Street is still used by members of the Eton community as a route to get from the school into Windsor.
In the distance is the Curfew Tower (or Bell Tower) of Windsor Castle, which houses the castle bells (the belfry of the College of St George). This tower is the most westerly point of Windsor Castle and its basement has served many functions over the centuries, including a storage and gathering space, a room for the singing school, the sitting room of a bellringer and, rather more sinisterly, a dungeon.