Most would agree that, within the 120 year Georgian period, the single greatest influence on Georgian interior design history was The Grand Tour.
By the early 18th Century The Grand Tour was a rite of passage for young British aristocrats and would come to exert a cultural influence both subtle and overt on Georgian design, from Palladianism to Rococo, Gothick and to Neoclassicism.
As the name suggests, it was a tour through France and Italy with a focus on learning; politics, economics featured but, most important, was observing art, antiquity and architecture.
Accompanied by a tutor, men would set off by ship to France, visiting Paris and other major cities for prolonged stays to study French manners and take lessons in sports.
Italy followed, with renaissance art, carnivals and rich architecture in Venice, Florence, Rome and Milan. Many travelled on to Naples, Sicily and Greece, witht he average Grand Tour lasting a year.
It’s no coincidence that the word “tourist” enters the English language during the 1770s (and “tourism” not long after in 1811), as The Grand Tour would come to help define large swathes of high culture in Georgian England.
Men on the grand tour sent back books, sheet music, paintings, sculptures, furniture and textiles to commemorate their experience. Since ownership of property was tied to status, creating a collection on the tour solidified social standing. This immersion in classical architecture inspired figures like the Earl of Burlington, who developed a new English interpretation of the ideals of venetian architect Andrea Palladio. This new interpretation of Palladianism (1720-1750) was widely adopted by aristocrats, keen to make their mark on their properties. The Palladian trend was later supplanted by Neo-Classicism (1750-1840). This still had its roots in The Grand Tour but was influenced by the unearthing of Pompeii and the Grecian architectural tradition.
Stourhead, Wiltshire
This austere English Palladian home (1725) was altered in 1791 to add two wings. The added Picture Gallery and Library house Richard Hoare’s Grand Tour collections.
Stourhead’s picture gallery houses Richard Hoare’s extensive collection of Italian paintings.
Chiswick House
A wonderful example of the Earl of Burlington’s English Palladian style. The refined classical order shown externally is internally rich in detailing with brighter colours, highly coordinated interiors, with elaborate cornicing and wall friezes. You can see niches housing statuary collected on the tour.
Osterley Park
Robert Adams’ interpretation of classicism came to define the later Georgian period. The neoclassical style favoured more delicate plasterwork and the detailing drew on Greek classicism. Symmetry was a key tenet, shown here in the reflection of the ceiling plasterwork in the marble flooring below.
Collectors bought marble sculptures, sarcophaguses, bronze sculpture and even pieces of buildings! A keen contender for the title of King of the Collectors might well be the architect Sir John Soane (who interestingly was sponsored to go on the Grand Tour by the Royal Academy of Arts) A visit to his home, now the Soane Museum, is quite amazing.
Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, was a talented Venetian artist who capitalised on the influx of tourists. His highly detailed and atmospheric works show views of Venice that English collectors loved.
Tourists also loved having their portrait painted – artist Pompro Batoni was an English favourite, and painted over 200 portraits of visiting British ‘milordi’ often against backdrops that referenced their learnings on the tour.
Pietra Dura was highly prized. Made in a Florentine workshop in operation since 1588 it is a way of cutting and arranging semi-precious stone to make a mosaic image. These were framed or made into furniture. No example is finer than The Badminton Cabinet commissioned by the 3rd Duke of Beaufort in Florence in 1726.
Back home, designs by the English furniture designer and maker Chippendale (1719-1779) show him adapting to changing market demands as customers toured and came back to furnish their new homes.
The English Rococo derived from the French movement and was a push back against austere and formal styles – it had a relaxed feel, with creatively flowing shapes and natural motifs, often with gold detailing
The bergère was originally developed in France around 1725. This adaption of the design by Chippendale in 1772 ties in with the colours and delicate neoclassical designs being undertaken by Robert Adam in a drawing room design.
The French revolution and Napoleonic wars interrupted the Grand Tour from 1789-1815 and, when it returned, Athens was its heart, not Rome. Advances in steam locomotion allowed for easier transportation and opened the doors to a wider audience, effectively ending its core role in the lives of the aristocracy.
The Grand Tour’s legacy, however, stretches right to the present day and is still evident in interior design.
Drawing on a passion for architecture, design history, and art, coupled with a background in luxury sales and marketing, I collaborate with individuals and brands to create fresh, harmonious interiors.
My focus is on crafting functional, enduring, and beautiful spaces that respect building, client and environment. If you’re seeking a fun, personal experience with a touch of luxury and a commitment to conservation and sustainability, let’s connect to start the conversation.
