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Grand Tour Folk Art

GRAND TOUR STYLE

For 18th-century young British noblemen, no education was complete without a year on the Grand Tour. Although it had no official route, the Grand Tour focused on places foundational to European art, literature and architecture, including sites in France, Germany, Switzerland and, most importantly, Italy. It was an opportunity not just to witness the roots of the classics they had studied but also to take some of it home. Grand Tour furniture was among the souvenirs.

Grand Tour furniture ranged from marble architectural models replicating ancient wonders to actual antiquities often taken illicitly, leaving a legacy of looting still being unraveled today. Other items reflected the artistic richness of the Renaissance cities and other destinations. In Italy, this included scagliola tables and pedestals mimicking marble as well as tabletops and wall panels embedded with pietra dura hard stone mosaics.

Furniture was also developed to display Grand Tour purchases in the owner’s home, presenting them as a cultivated and well-traveled person. Mahogany collector’s cabinets held objects like intaglio moldings of coins and seals while others had specialized drawers that framed pietra dura panels.

Many objects were specifically produced for Grand Tour collectors. Often accompanied by retinues on journeys lasting months or years, the elite travelers, the wealthiest of whom extended their trips to Egypt and the Holy Land, required artful personal mementos befitting the experience. For example, Grand Tour micromosaics — small artworks, most not more than two inches wide — arose from the entrepreneurial impulses of artisans who had trained in the Vatican’s workshops.

Grand Tour journeys would help inform a range of decorative styles such as neoclassical, Rococo and Adam style. (Architect and designer Robert Adam toured Italy and France for five years.) The Grand Tour flourished at a time of economic prosperity and political stability, but the French Revolution in 1789 brought it to an end. Yet as the tradition faded in popularity in England, the rising wealth of the United States led to an increase in tourism across the Atlantic and a similar passion for collecting to show one’s worldliness.

Find a collection of Grand Tour decorative objects, wall decorations, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Grand Tour
Handpainted 19th Century Grand Tour Museum Copy of a Greek Geometric Amphora Jug
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This exquisite 19th-century hand-painted ceramic amphora is a finely crafted Grand Tour museum replica of an ancient Greek Geometric-style vessel, circa 800 BCE. The amphora features...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Clay, Terracotta

Handpainted 19th Century Grand Tour Museum Copy of a Greek Geometric Amphora Jug
Handpainted 19th Century Grand Tour Museum Copy of a Greek Geometric Amphora Jug

Handpainted 19th Century Grand Tour Museum Copy of a Greek Geometric Amphora Jug

$762
19th Century Finely Carved Wooden Wall Panel with Sphinx, Dolphins & Scrollwork
By Brienz Switzerland, Black Forest
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This exceptional masterpiece of the 19th Century showcases remarkable craftsmanship with finest detailing. The carved wooden wall panel shows a composition featuring a central mythol...
Category

1880s French Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Wood

19th Century Finely Carved Wooden Wall Panel with Sphinx, Dolphins & Scrollwork
19th Century Finely Carved Wooden Wall Panel with Sphinx, Dolphins & Scrollwork

19th Century Finely Carved Wooden Wall Panel with Sphinx, Dolphins & Scrollwork

$2,580
Antique 18th Century Neoclassical Marble Urn
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
An antique 18th century Neoclassical style marble urn. Beautifully carved into white statuary marble, this hand-carved urn is an excellent sculpture, featuring a detailed drape and ...
Category

Early 19th Century English Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Marble, Statuary Marble

Antique 18th Century Neoclassical Marble Urn
Antique 18th Century Neoclassical Marble Urn

Antique 18th Century Neoclassical Marble Urn

$5,189
Walnut, Large Wooden Screw of a Wine Press, a Wooden Sculpture, Italy 1900s
Located in Roma, IT
Large wooden screw of a wine press, Italy, 1900s. A walnut sculpture. Really nice.
Category

20th Century Italian Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Walnut, Large Wooden Screw of a Wine Press, a Wooden Sculpture, Italy 1900s
Walnut, Large Wooden Screw of a Wine Press, a Wooden Sculpture, Italy 1900s

Walnut, Large Wooden Screw of a Wine Press, a Wooden Sculpture, Italy 1900s

$703
19th Century Grand Tour Micro Mosaic Tablet with Roman Views
Located in Kastrup, DK
19th century Micro Mosaic tablet with five oval panels with Roman views, approx. 1860-1880. Very fine tesserae and small briquettes of semi-precious stone...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Stone, Marble

19th Century Grand Tour Micro Mosaic Tablet with Roman Views
19th Century Grand Tour Micro Mosaic Tablet with Roman Views

19th Century Grand Tour Micro Mosaic Tablet with Roman Views

$4,750
19th Century Original Painting, Ruins in the Roman Forum
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
19th Century (mid) Ruins in the Roman Forum. Beautiful oil painting on canvas. See detailed photos. Contact us for more information.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

19th Century Original Painting, Ruins in the Roman Forum
19th Century Original Painting, Ruins in the Roman Forum

19th Century Original Painting, Ruins in the Roman Forum

$7,700
Related Items
A pair of 18th century Austrian winged cherubs
Located in London, GB
A beautiful pair of 18th century Austrian carved gilt wood angel cherubs with their original hooks to the back .
Category

Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Giltwood

A pair of 18th century Austrian winged cherubs
A pair of 18th century Austrian winged cherubs

A pair of 18th century Austrian winged cherubs

$2,604 / set
H 11.82 in W 6.7 in D 4.73 in
Late 19th Century Carved Wooden Angel
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Impressive wood carved angel with amazing detail. Certainly the work of a master carver. Found among the entire contents of a Catholic Church in the Midwest which was said to have cl...
Category

19th Century American Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Gesso, Wood, Paint

Late 19th Century Carved Wooden Angel
Late 19th Century Carved Wooden Angel

Late 19th Century Carved Wooden Angel

$14,500
H 42 in W 26 in D 32 in
Pair of Canadian Folk Art Carved Japanese Internment Camp Figures or Sculptures
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This pair of Folk Art carved figures is believed to have been made by a Japanese immigrant to Canada either while or after being interned by the Canadian government during the Second World War. The male carved figure is hand painted in vibrant colors and the base reads: June 11, 1942" and "Ontario" underneath. The nude female carving...
Category

Mid-20th Century Canadian Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Softwood

Pair of Canadian Folk Art Carved Japanese Internment Camp Figures or Sculptures
Pair of Canadian Folk Art Carved Japanese Internment Camp Figures or Sculptures

Pair of Canadian Folk Art Carved Japanese Internment Camp Figures or Sculptures

$1,195 / set
H 15.5 in W 4 in D 2 in
19th Century German Carved Wooden Deers Head
Located in London, GB
19th century carved wooden deer’s head We are proud to offer a delightful example of a 19th century hand carved German deer’s head. This ite...
Category

1880s German Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Pine, Paint

19th Century German Carved Wooden Deers Head
19th Century German Carved Wooden Deers Head

19th Century German Carved Wooden Deers Head

$3,968
H 22 in W 9 in D 14 in
19th Century Decorated Bird Stoneware Jug
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century decorated stoneware jug with a bird on the face. This is a New York State jug. The condition is very good.
Category

19th Century American Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Pottery

19th Century Decorated Bird Stoneware Jug
19th Century Decorated Bird Stoneware Jug

19th Century Decorated Bird Stoneware Jug

$1,495
H 14.5 in Dm 8.5 in
Memento Mori, Wooden Skull from Innsbruck, Austria
Located in Schellebelle, BE
Unique sculptured wooden Skull from Innsbruck, Austria, from around the 1920 ties, extremely fine sculptured piece of Artisanal work, looks like a real skull...
Category

1920s Austrian Vintage Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Fruitwood

Memento Mori, Wooden Skull from Innsbruck, Austria
Memento Mori, Wooden Skull from Innsbruck, Austria

Memento Mori, Wooden Skull from Innsbruck, Austria

$2,170
H 3.94 in W 4.34 in D 2.76 in
18th Century French or Italian Santo Nativity Figure
Located in Nantucket, MA
18th century French or Italian Santo Nativity Figure, a hand carved and painted fruitwood figure for a Christmas Crèche or Krippe. Excellent and delicate details to the head and hands. The half figure stands on a dowel set into platform base, dressed in original fine linen robe...
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Linen, Fruitwood

18th Century French or Italian Santo Nativity Figure
18th Century French or Italian Santo Nativity Figure

18th Century French or Italian Santo Nativity Figure

$445
H 12.5 in W 4 in D 3.5 in
18th Century Wooden Cross, Guanajuato, Mexico
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Wooden cross Guanajuato, Mexico Wood, paint 22 x 13 inches, (56 cm x 33 cm) 18th century A wonderful old wooden cross with a painted crucified Christ figure, an angel, possibly Mary Magdelene...
Category

18th Century Mexican Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Paint, Wood

18th Century Wooden Cross, Guanajuato, Mexico
18th Century Wooden Cross, Guanajuato, Mexico

18th Century Wooden Cross, Guanajuato, Mexico

$1,300
H 22 in W 13 in D 3 in
English 19th Century Painting of Racing Pigeons
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Fabulous 19th century oil painting on canvas of a group of four racing pigeons pecking in the grass. The work is unsigned but recalls the influence of artist Edward Henry Windred, fa...
Category

19th Century English Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

English 19th Century Painting of Racing Pigeons
English 19th Century Painting of Racing Pigeons

English 19th Century Painting of Racing Pigeons

$2,400
H 21.75 in W 32.25 in D 1 in
Bear Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A great looking hand carved original wooden Folk Art Bear head wall decoration. A great piece for a suitable ambiance in a trophy room or the office of a...
Category

Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Bear Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century
Bear Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century

Bear Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century

$920
H 14.5 in W 9.25 in D 9.25 in
18th Century Carved And Painted Wooden Crucifix From France
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
An early 18th Century antique hand carved and polychromed hand painted table crucifix from France with its original patina preserved. This crucifix could possible date back as early ...
Category

Early 18th Century French Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Fruitwood

18th Century Carved And Painted Wooden Crucifix From France
18th Century Carved And Painted Wooden Crucifix From France

18th Century Carved And Painted Wooden Crucifix From France

$920 Sale Price
20% Off
H 26.38 in W 11.03 in D 4.34 in
Mother Mary Madonna Wood Carved Polychrome Santo Santos, 18th-19th Century
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful hand-carved wood Santo of the Madonna, Mary mother of Christ. The piece clearly shows signs of weathering, use, and age and was likely placed outside a church or shri...
Category

19th Century Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Mother Mary Madonna Wood Carved Polychrome Santo Santos, 18th-19th Century
Mother Mary Madonna Wood Carved Polychrome Santo Santos, 18th-19th Century

Mother Mary Madonna Wood Carved Polychrome Santo Santos, 18th-19th Century

$685
H 14.5 in W 5 in D 3 in
Previously Available Items
Antique Set of 3 Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th Century
Located in London, GB
An elegant set of three framed intaglios, enclosing eighteen plaster Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the e...
Category

Early 19th Century Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Other

Antique Set of 3 Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th Century
Antique Set of 3 Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th Century

Antique Set of 3 Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th Century

H 6.3 in W 7.49 in D 0.79 in
Grand Tour Terracotta Souvenir Oinochoe Wine Jug Ewer 19thc Ancient Greek Style
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
An excuisite handcrafted antique Grand Tour souvenir terracotta black-figure Oinochoe wine jug decorated with roosters and a lotus panel, ...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Clay, Terracotta

Grand Tour Terracotta Souvenir Oinochoe Wine Jug Ewer 19thc Ancient Greek Style
Grand Tour Terracotta Souvenir Oinochoe Wine Jug Ewer 19thc Ancient Greek Style

Grand Tour Terracotta Souvenir Oinochoe Wine Jug Ewer 19thc Ancient Greek Style

H 11.42 in Dm 5.71 in
Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio with Bust of a Woman, 19th Century
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A 19th-century Intaglio Tassie - A seal with the bust of a woman holding an olive branch. Thick gilt paper wrapped around the edge mimicking a frame. There are a few tiny faults in t...
Category

19th Century English Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Plaster

Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio with Bust of a Woman, 19th Century
Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio with Bust of a Woman, 19th Century

Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio with Bust of a Woman, 19th Century

H 1.25 in W 1.13 in D 0.25 in
Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio Tassie Seal with Proserpina Bust, 19th Century
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This is a 19th century Intaglio Tassie - A seal with the head of Proserpina or Proserpine on it. Thick gilt paper wrapped around the edge mimicking a frame. There are a few tiny fau...
Category

19th Century English Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Gold

Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio Tassie Seal with Proserpina Bust, 19th Century
Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio Tassie Seal with Proserpina Bust, 19th Century

Gilt Grand Tour Plaster Intaglio Tassie Seal with Proserpina Bust, 19th Century

H 1 in W 0.75 in D 0.13 in
Swedish Dragoon Jousting Helmet, Origin Sweden, circa 1800
Located in New York, NY
A Swedish dragoon helmet, equipment utilized by a member of a ceremonial cavalry regiment, origin: Sweden, circa 1800, all original leather and brass plate This helmet is adorned w...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Grand Tour Folk Art

Materials

Brass

Swedish Dragoon Jousting Helmet, Origin Sweden, circa 1800
Swedish Dragoon Jousting Helmet, Origin Sweden, circa 1800

Swedish Dragoon Jousting Helmet, Origin Sweden, circa 1800

H 9.5 in W 6.25 in D 10.75 in

Grand Tour folk art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Grand Tour folk art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage folk art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, wall decorations, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with plaster, marble and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Grand Tour folk art made in a specific country, there are Europe, England, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for folk art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $671 and tops out at $4,510 while the average work can sell for $700.

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