The Grand Tour: antiquity, art and cultural encounters

What is the course about?

From the late 16th century, young aristocratic and mostly British gentlemen finished their education with a Grand Tour, taking them to the centres of Europe’s Classical and current culture. The often-arduous journey would take them through Europe, visiting key places, monuments and artworks to complete their education in developing 'taste' while providing valuable life experiences from encountering different places, people and customs. Many artists and architects, including Inigo Jones, James and Robert Adam, Richard Wilson and Joseph Wright of Derby also embarked on a Grand Tour, often at the invitation of their patron, to finish their artistic education.

By the 18th century, the itinerary was well-established, focused on Italian centres of Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, and sometimes as far as Greece. The objective was to study the remains of the ancient world and canonical art history, but some Grand Tourists also took part in pleasure activities in centres like Venice, with its masquerade and Carnival. Grand Tourists bought souvenirs from their travels, resulting in a booming antique market and artists like Canaletto and Piranesi producing views in paintings, drawings and prints.

This course follows in the footsteps of Grand Tourists, visiting the locations and canonical monuments from Antiquity and art history. First-hand accounts from diaries will offer an insight into just what it was like to travel on the Grand Tour and how young aristocrats and artists responded to the places, art and people that they encountered. We will look at how key objects were developed in response to the Grand Tourist’s needs, from guidebooks to assist the itinerary to statuettes and views to supply the demand for souvenirs. A key cultural experience in a gentleman’s education, we will consider the impact of the Grand Tour in forming collections and developing taste and style back in England during the eighteenth century, in architecture and landscape art.

What will we cover?

· The key places and art works of the Grand Tour

· The cultural milieu of the Grand Tourist, gatherings, music, festivals and food

· How the Grand Tour shaped the cannon of art during the long eighteenth century

· The developing antique market and production of views to supply a demand for souvenirs

· How the Grand Tour developed Taste in Britain

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

· Discuss the importance of viewing canonical works of art in a gentleman’s education

· Understand the role of the Grand Tour in forming collections in Britain

· Trace how the Grand Tour developed taste in Britain in Neo Classical architecture

· Understand the impact of the Grand Tour on the genre of British Landscape

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is suitable for all levels.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and hand-outs. You should be willing to read the assigned texts as they will be key to certain aspects of our lectures and discussions.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught by lecture with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. This course uses a Google Classroom to share supplementary materials. The tutor will print out required readings and the course outline, but all other documents will be shared via the Google Classroom.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided for future study.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

‘Through Venetian eyes’: Canaletto in London England