Aedes Walpolianae, or a Description of the Collection of Pictures at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, the Seat of the Right Honorable Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford (Interleaved with Drawings by Isaac Ware for: The Plans, Elevations, and Sections of Chimney Pieces, and Celings of Houghton Hall in Norfolk...1735) ["The Walpole Album"]

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department, where "The Walpole Album"—formally titled *Aedes Walpolianae*—offers a fascinating glimpse into 18th-century British grandeur. Compiled by Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, extraordinary album catalogs the renowned picture collection at Houghton Hall, the Norfolk estate of his father, Robert Walpole, first Prime Minister and 1st Earl of Or. Spanning works from 1550 to early 20th century it interleaves Horace's detailed descriptions with Isaac Ware's precise 1735 architectural drawings of the hall's chimney pieces, ceilings, plans, elevations, and sections. Housed in a grand box measuring over two feet wide, the album blends etchings, engravings, pen and ink, brush and wash, and watercolor across its large leaves. This mixed-media manuscript not only documents opulent Old Master paintings but also evokes Houghton Hall's Palladian splendor, a symbol of Walpole family power and taste. Tags hint at vivid scenes within—girls, women, horses, and trees—reflecting the eclectic collection's lively subjects. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1925, this classified album of ornament, architecture, prints, drawings, and manuscripts remains a treasure trove for scholars, illuminating aristocratic patronage and the era's fusion of art, architecture, and legacy. A true time capsule of Enlightenment collecting!