Bibliotheek van Strawberry Hill te Twickenham 1784

Jean Godefroy's print depicts the library at Strawberry Hill, Horace Walpole's famous Gothic Revival villa, constructed from the mid-18th century onward, outside London. The print offers a glimpse into the cultural aspirations of the British elite. Walpole, a man of letters and a politician, deliberately embraced Gothic architecture, turning away from the classical styles that dominated the period. Strawberry Hill became a stage for Walpole's social and intellectual life, a physical manifestation of his antiquarian interests, filled with collections of books and curiosities. The image itself carries meaning through its visual representation of the library. The pointed arches of the bookcases and ceiling evoke the medieval past, a past romanticized and selectively reinterpreted. The portraits adorning the walls reinforce a sense of lineage and tradition, constructing a narrative of cultural authority. Understanding this print demands attention to social and institutional contexts. Walpole's role as a tastemaker, the rise of the Gothic Revival, and the cultural politics of collecting, all shape our understanding. By consulting period writings, architectural history, and social studies, we reveal the complex meanings embedded in this image.