Talk & Garden Tour: Walpole, van Huysum and the Art of the Garden

Join Strawberry Hill’s honorary librarian and tour guide, Carole Tucker, on this unique and fascinating garden tour. The tour begins with a private view of what Art historian, Andrew Graham-Dixon, referred to as ‘the two most brilliant and perfectly preserved paintings’ by the celebrated Dutch artist, Jan van Huysum.  

Whilst Walpole never owned any the Master’s work himself, his fascination with nature, colours, surfaces and optical illusions is evident in both his garden and his art collection. Van Huysum’s compositions are indeed illusions, not only because the depicted surfaces appear almost palpable but because of the improbable representation of flowers and fruit from different seasons and climates. 

Take time to immerse yourself in the crystalline light, colour and detail of van Huysum’s paintings before a tour of the gardens. The tour will explore Walpole’s suggestion that a landscape garden contained and combined many art forms: architecture, sculpture, poetry and painting.