Sutton Nicholls’ etching illustrates the Great Parterre on the eastern side of the palace. This was of a type known as the parterre à l’anglaise, because the English preference was for patterns formed with turf rather than box hedging. The turf formed the ground from which patterns were cut out in sand. Here, the artist exploits the abundant scrollwork and arabesques to counterbalance the severe rectilinear appearance of the east façade of the palace.