Wednesday 10 February 2010

Manfred, lord of the castle

The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well. So said Horace Walpole, the 18th century English art historian, author, politician and, not least of all, arbiter of taste. Today he is most remembered for his Gothic revival villa, Strawberry Hill.


Strawberry Hill




The Long Gallery




Strawberry Hill
By Anna Chalcraft and Judith Viscardi




Walpole also said, Nine-tenths of the people were created so you would want to be with the other tenth.


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Now playing: Barenaked Ladies - What a Good Boy
via FoxyTunes

6 comments:

An Aesthete's Lament said...

I love the second Walpole quote especially.

An Aesthete's Lament said...

That is the best quote ever. Absolutely knocks my "Well Said" feature on its hind end. Walpole was such genius. I am going to order this book immediately!

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Someone I would want at that imaginary dinner party. He must have had a biting wit.

little augury said...

I have always been fascinated with Walpole and lament his dislike,or should I say hatred of MW Montagu- a lady I have read about and have a post in me at some point, why is it that some things never get written. I have the book on its way. pgt

Thombeau said...

How completely fabulous!

Tobi said...

You say Manfred, lord of the castle and Strawberry Hill. I think Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and Boones Farm Strawberry Hill. Definitive proof that you should would want to be with the other tenth.