Description
During the 18th century it was considered a rite of passage in a young gentleman’s life to make the ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe with a final destination in Rome, the eternal city. This milestone was a status symbol and a mark of culture and education. The Grand Tour marked a young man’s (and occasional young woman’s) coming of age in Britain—a sort of finishing school. This art history lecture will provide a brief introduction to the European Grand Tour in the 18th century, favored destinations and landmarks, the young people who made the tour and some of the artistic treasures they brought home to Britain.
