Located on the Strand, Arundel House was an extravagant town-house, more akin to a small palace, that belonged to the Bishops of Bath and Wells before being confiscated by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and subsequently passed through the hands of various noblemen. Wenceslaus Hollar had stayed at the House himself, the current owner, Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, being a great patron of the arts and having a keen eye for promising young talent. His first print to prominently feature the building is a view of London from its roof.

Three men stand by the rampart wearing broad-brimmed hats and one a cloak. They are looking out at the impressive vista that encompasses Old St. Paul’s Cathedral and the buildings of the Temple among London’s rooftops, many of which would be destroyed in the Great Fire two decades hence. To the right, the Thames is filled with small and large vessels, a reminder of the importance of London’s arterial waterway for travel and trade at this time.