Leaf from Aedes Walpolinae mounted with a hand-written sheet, two prints and a printed sheet with drawn additions: (a): Sermon on Painting, continued; (b): St. Peter's Church at Walpole; (c): Chateau de Picton; (d): Monument of Eudo de Arsie; (e) Printed text describing Monument of Eudo de Arsie 1742

This artwork by Horace Walpole, created in the 18th century, uses paper, ink and print to layer text and images on a leaf. This approach allows us to explore the interplay of textual and visual elements within the framework of Walpole’s aesthetic and intellectual pursuits. The handwritten sheet at the top offers a discourse on painting, followed by mounted prints of architectural landmarks, portraits and descriptive texts. The composition is not organized by traditional standards but resembles a collage. Walpole deliberately destabilizes conventional relationships between text and image. By arranging these elements side by side, Walpole asks us to think about the relationship between the written word, the drawn image and the physical space they occupy. These formal qualities challenge fixed meanings and invites ongoing re-interpretation.