In the footsteps of the Grand Tour: a cultural journey through 18th-century Europe

The Grand Tour was a right of passage for the 18th-century gentleman. On a lengthy journey through Europe, they absorbed the manners and cultural life of the continent, indulging in fashion and food. They visited key European sites of art and architecture from the finery of the French Court to the glories of Rome. They commissioned portraits and purchased art and sculpture to furnish their English estates. In this course we follow the footsteps of these original tourists examining their route, considering the art and architecture they viewed and reading their accounts of life in the 18th-century tourist scene.

Course details

Checking availability...

Start Date

13 Jul 2025

Duration

5 Sessions over one week

End Date

19 Jul 2025

Application Deadline

29 Jun 2025

Location

International Summer Programme

Code

W15Pm30

Tutors

Dr Sarah Pearson

University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education Tutor in History of Art; Architectural Historian and Writer

Aims

This course aims to:

• examine the Grand Tour as a cultural phenomenon

• consider the route of the Grand Tour and the art and architecture encountered by travellers

• examine the impact and influence of the Grand Tour

Content

The Grand Tour was an amazing European journey undertaken by the privileged few in the 18th century. In this course we will follow the route of a Grand Tourist, travelling across Europe to examine the art and architecture viewed and, in some cases, purchased by these wealthy visitors. We begin in France with a visit to Paris and to the royal court at Versailles where tourists viewed the glory of French Baroque architecture and participated in the social life of the court. Crossing the alps to Italy, we will study the key Grand Tour city of Florence before moving on to Rome and Naples. Both cities were important stopping points for the Grand Tourist with the newly rediscovered city of Pompeii providing a major attraction. As the 18th century progressed, some tourists sought more exotic destinations to the east before the return home to England through the low countries, allowing tourists to view the glories of Northern Renaissance Art. In this tour of Europe, we will examine the art and architecture of the countries visited by Grand Tourists. We will consider collecting and the impact of purchasing by the intellectual elite on artistic production in the period. Using the primary source material of diaries and letters we will also reflect on the cultural life of the tour and its enduring impact.

Presentation of the course

Teaching will take the form of interactive lectures illustrated with slides. There will be a strong element of discussion in each session.

Course sessions

1. Departure – the journey to Paris and life at the French Court

2. Onward to Italy, crossing the Alps and the descent to Rome

3. From Naples to Venice – what to see in 18C Italy

4. Further afield? - the lure of Greece and Turkey

5. Journeys End, the Low Countries and the return to England

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• to understand and discuss the historical significance of the Grand Tour

• to identify buildings, artworks and artists of importance in the Grand Tour

• to discuss the impact on European art and architecture of the Grand Tour period