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"]
1550–early 20th century
![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"] by Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford|Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/dp/thumb/aedes-walpolianae-or-a-description-of-the-353860.webp)
Medium
Etching, engraving, pen and ink, brush and wash, watercolor
Dimensions
Box: 22 5/8 x 31 x 7 3/8 in. (57.4 x 78.8 x 18.8 cm) Leaves: 28 15/16 × 20 1/2 in. (73.5 × 52 cm)
Classification
Albums|Ornament & Architecture|Prints|Drawings|Manuscripts
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1925
Accession Number
25.62
Tags
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, ceilin...