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.
Neoclassical Grand Tour Solid Marble Pink and Cream Obelisks, Set of 5
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning set of five neoclassical Grand Tour style solid marble pink & cream obelisks. A favorite of designers, obelisks add a touch of classic decor to traditional or modern inter...
Marble
Italian Grand Tour Style Patinated Bronze Bust of Napoleon Bonaparte on Marble
Located in San Diego, CA
Italian Grand Tour Style Patinated Bronze Bust of Napoleon Bonaparte on Marble Base, circa 1960. A classic mid-20th-century Grand Tour style portrait bust depicting Emperor Napoleon...
Marble, Bronze
Italian Grand Tour Gouache of Mount Vesuvius Erupting at Night, Circa 1872
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian Grand Tour gouache of Mount Vesuvius erupting at night with a full moon over the Bay of Naples. In the original gilt wood frame. This is a very fine and large example of this...
Giltwood, Paper
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze of a Satyr Sculpture, Pompeii
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century Neapolitan Grand Tour bronze of a Satyr with wine skin, also known as the 'Drunken Satyr'. The cup he would have been holding was lost in the conflagration. The lean, mu...
Travertine, Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze Brazier, Ancient Pompeii Original
Located in Stamford, CT
An Italian Grand Tour bronze tripod brazier, after the ancient Roman original excavated from Pompeii, Neapolitan late 19th century The brazier modeled after one that was used to hea...
Marble, Bronze
Fine Italian Grand Tour 19th Century Bronze Sculpture of Apollo Belvedere
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR MODEL OF THE PYTHIAN APOLLO BELVEDERE Probably Italian, possibly French, circa 1860 to 1890 Unmarked Patinated sand-cast bronze 21 3/8" H x 13 1/4" W x 8" D This bronze...
Bronze
Pair of Italian Grand Tour–Style Green & Gilt Jasperware Intaglio Wall Plaques
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Italian Grand Tour–Style Green & Gilt Jasperware Intaglio Wall Plaques, Circa 1960s This elegant pair of Italian Grand Tour–style wall plaq...
Pottery
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Blue and Tan Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of blue, cream, and tan. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly ar...
Marble
Antique French Bronze Grand Tour Model of The Arc de Triomphe 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A delightful French bronze Grand Tour model of the Arc De Triomphe, circa 1860 in date. The beautifully realistic model is cast in high relief and is mounted on a black marble base....
Bronze
A Greek Black Figure Style Grand Tour Amphora, 19th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Greek Black Figure Style Grand Tour Amphora, 19th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Description: Amphora, specifically, were used for storing and transporting li...
Terracotta
$632Sale Price|20% Off
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Blue Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of blue and cream. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly architec...
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Brown and Grey Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of brown, cream, and grey. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly ...
Marble
Grand Tour Book of Plaster Intaglios by Bartolomeo Paoletti #2
Located in Bradenton, FL
Beautifully preserved Grand Tour book-form box housing a collection of twenty-four classical Intaglio Medallions by Bartolomo Paoletti. Paoletti was one of the most respected makers ...
Plaster, Paper
Grand Tour Bronze Volute Krater / Vase / Urn by Benedetto Boschetti , C. 1840
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is breathtaking! It is an early 19th century bronze volute krater by Benedetto Boschetti, a Roman artisan. It is marked. The marble base is 4....
Marble, Bronze
NAVAL CANNON 19th Century Model Battery Signal Cannon In Bronze & Wood
Located in Miami, FL
A 19th century presentation naval battery signal cannon. This is a superb large scale model of a naval battery cannon made in the 19th century, circa 1825-1850. The antique presenta...
Bronze
Antique Carved Asian Chinese Figured Clam Shell Animals Elephant Camel Lion 19Ct
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Absolutely stunning hand carved collection of Grand Tour Chinese beautifully carved objects to include a “Dream shell” Diorama Carving depicting two standing figures dressed in tradi...
Antler, Horn
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Grand Tour Ancient Egyptian Style Alabaster Storage Jar
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century hand carved alabaster storage jar in the ancient Egyptian Late Dynastic style, with tapering neck topped by a wide everted rim. Great evocative decorative piece for the ...
Alabaster
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
19th C Grand Tour Painting on Porcelain View of Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th century Grand Tour Painting on Porcelain View of Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica Italy, circa 1880s Standing in rectangular gilt bronze engraved frame with applied stylized flo...
Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Set of Portrait Medals of The 12 Roman Emperors
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century Italian Grand Tour set of silvered bronze portrait medallions of The 12 Roman Emperors, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelliu...
Bronze
Italian Glazed Terracotta Lantern
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Glazed Terracotta Lantern. Offered is a lovely Italian glazed terracotta lantern from the Amalfi Coast of Italy. This beautifully detailed lantern displays a variety of seali...
Terracotta
Grand Tour Antique Italian Carved Marble Bust of Young Caesar Augustus
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, circa late 19th/early 20th Century Bust of Young Gaius Octavius Augustus Carved Carrara marble, unsigned 17 1/4" H x 8 3/4" W x 5 5/8" D A good Grand Tour bust ...
Marble
Italian Grand Tour Alabaster Model the Roman Forum Temple of Vespasian
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian Grand Tour model of the ancient Temple of Vespasian located in the Roman Forum, Rome. Carved from alabaster, this is a handsome example of a souvenir carving which would have been collected by a European or American sophisticate making a Grand Tour of the ancient sites of Italy. This wonderful architectural miniature is evocative of another time and place. Roma Templo Di Vespasiano' etched into the black marble base. It has been drilled to be wired, not the first time I have owned one of these that had been mounted as a lamp. The Temple of Vespasian and Titus is located in Rome at the western end of the Roman Forum between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Saturn...
Alabaster, Marble
Italian Capriccio Landscape Painting with Classical Ruins in Shaped Gilt Frame
Located in Elkhart, IN
A distinctive Italian capriccio landscape, painted in oil on a shaped panel and presented in a softly worn giltwood frame. The composition draws from the Grand Tour tradition—romanti...
Wood, Paint
Zuber & Cie. Early 20th Century Screen "View of New York Bay from New Jersey"
By Jean Zuber
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
"VIEW OF NEW YORK BAY FROM NEW JERSEY” Produced by Zuber & Cie. Rixheim, Alsace, France, originally designed in 1834, by Jean-Julien Deltil (1791-1863). Recently mounted as a seven...
Wood, Paper
Grand Tour Hand Carved Marble Head of a Satyr
Located in Chicago, IL
A hand-carved white marble head of a satyr (or faun) in the Neoclassical style. The figure is depicted with characteristic caprine features, including recurved ribbed horns, a furrow...
Marble, Statuary Marble, Iron
Framed Group of Seven Italian Grand Tour Cast Plaster Intaglios, 19th Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Framed Group of Seven Italian Grand Tour Cast Plaster Intaglios, 19th Century This refined framed composition features a group of seven Italian Grand Tour intaglios, executed in cas...
Fabric, Plaster, Giltwood
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Large 19th Century French Grand Tour Venus de Milo Marble Column
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Large 19th-century Grand Tour Venus de Milo Marble Column France, circa 1880 A magnificent 19th-century Grand Tour Venus de Milo marble column from...
Marble, Bronze
Large Neoclassical Antique French Bronze, Education of Achilles, Francois Rude
By Francois Rude
Located in New York, NY
Large, exceptional quality bronze sculpture depicting The Education of Achilles by the Centaur Chiron, after the model by Francois Rude. Ear...
Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze of “The Dying Gaul”
Located in Kastrup, DK
A neoclassical Grand Tour sculpture in dark-patinated bronze depicting The Dying Gaul — an iconic motif after the famous ancient original from Pergamon. Mounted on an oval Siena marb...
Siena Marble, Bronze
Antique Grand Tour Model Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A delightful Italian bronze Grand Tour model of the Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, circa 1860 in date. The bronze realistic model is cast in high relief with twenty Corinthian col...
Siena Marble, Bronze
Italian Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture Bust of Diana by Del Nerro Foundry
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, mid-19th century Bust of the goddess Diana Cast by Del Nero Foundry, Rome, crisp inscription to base of neck verso DEL NERO ROMA Patinated bronze raised on a mottled pink marble...
Marble, Bronze
19th Grand Tour Century Italian Painted Wood Architectural Model
Located in Essex, MA
19th Century Florence, Neoclassical style structure, featuring intricate design work incl. faux marbleized column supports, baluster railings, urn pediments, hinged door to back open...
Pine
Grand Tour Bust of Augustus
Located in Greenwich, CT
Italian 19th century bronze bust of Augustus Ceasar, finely detailed and well patinated, standing on turned ebonized wood and marble socle plinth base.
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Bronze French Grand Tour Urns (Pair)
Located in Louisville, KY
This pair of early 19th century Grand Tour Period bronze gilt volute krater urns on stone bases are absolutely breathtaking. The base is a heavy black slate with etched Neo-classic f...
Stone, Slate, Bronze
Neoclassical Solid Marble Obelisk, Red & Brown, Grand Tour Style
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of red, purple, and brown. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly ...
Marble
Grand Tour Classical Figure in Brass on Marble Base, Neoclassical Sculpture
Located in Elkhart, IN
A Grand Tour–style classical figure in brass, mounted on a cylindrical marble base. The slightly more relaxed posture and gesture give this piece a sense of movement, complementing m...
Marble, Brass
Antique Grand Tour Italian Bronze Sculpture of Dancing Faun of Pompeii
Located in Shippensburg, PA
THE DANCING FAUN OF POMPEII After the model of Antiquity Grand Tour, Italy cast ca. 1880 With a fine verdigris patination and "ancient" surface treatment...
Bronze
Lorenzo de Medici Marble Sculpture After Michelangelo
Located in New York, NY
Our antique (late 19th century) white marble Grand Tour sculpture of Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1515). Sculpture 22 by 9 by 10 inches. The sculpture, carved from Carr...
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Green & Brown Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned onyx marble obelisk in richly veined shades of green, cream, and brown. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a qu...
Marble
Three Volume Set Of Grand Tour Intaglios From Francesco Carnesecchi
Located in Essex, MA
Volumes 2, 4 and 5. Each volume double sided. The book spine stamped Carnesecchi Impronte Di Gemme. Featuring 268 plaster intaglios. Francesco Carnesecchi was a renowned 19th centur...
Leather, Plaster, Paper
Antique French Porcelain Jacob Petite Desk Set Inkstand Provenance Ava Gardner
By Jacob Petit
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Stunning French Lavish Gilt Porcelain Ink Stand of Museum Quality and generous proportions, made by renowned French porcelain maker Jacob Petit. Last quarter of the Nineteenth Centur...
Brass
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
19th C. Italian Grand Tour Micro-Mosaic "Doves of Pliny" Box After Antiquity
By Vatican Mosaic Studio
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian, likely Circa 1880. This beautiful box has an exceptional Grand Tour Micro-mosaic plaque depicting the Capitoline Doves or Doves of Pliny after the Roman antiquity. Also by ...
Slate, Bronze
$973Sale Price / set|20% Off
Grand Tour. Pair of Neoclassical style reliefs, Italy, 1950s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of Neoclassical and Grand Tour style reliefs depicting mythological scenes, Italy, 1950s. These medallions are made of molded bakelite, with a chrome-plated golden metal frame a...
Metal, Brass
Antique 19th Century French Architectural Model of a Château Turret
Located in Lincoln, GB
Antique 19th Century French Architectural Model of a Château Turret Large Scale Grand Tour Folk Art Watchtower Spire, c.1860 An exceptionally rare and highly decorative large-scale ...
Slate
$3,687Sale Price / set|20% Off
Grand Tour and Art Déco bronze table lamps, France, 1920s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of exceptional French table lamps in bronze representing two sphinxes from Greek/Roman mythology with a woman's face, lion's body and winged, in French Empire and Art Deco style...
Brass, Bronze
Classical Bronze Female Bust on Red Marble Base
Located in Bradenton, FL
Classical Female Bust of a Young Woman on Red Marble Base. Bust features of a young woman depicted in profile, her head gently turned to the side in a contemplative pose. She wears ...
Bronze
Camillo de Vito, View from Naples Pier, Gouache, c.1820s
Located in Savannah, GA
Camillo de Vito (Italian, active 1794-1845) Veduta del Molo di Napoli (view from the Naples pier), circa 1820s. A gouache on paper depicting a sailing ship with men battling turbul...
Glass, Fruitwood, Paint, Paper
Antique French Giltwood Figural Cathedral Floor Lamps, a Pair
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique French giltwood figural Cathedral floor lamps - a pair.
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Yellow & Black Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of yellow, cream, grey, and black. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a ...
Marble
Antique Grand Tour Bronze Figure of "Dionysus, called Narcissus" 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb large antique Grand Tour patinated bronze figure of "Dionysus, called Narcissus" dating from the mid 19th Century. Dionysus is the ancient Greek God of wine, wher...
Marble, Bronze
$4,552
Grand Tour Dining Chairs
Located in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset
A fine Grand Tour design mahogany Egyptian revival dining chair in the manner of Marc Du Plantier. This chair can be upholstered in the client’s own material. Please note we are cur...
Mahogany
Grand Tour Specimen Marbles Plaque, Italy, circa 1850
Located in Kinderhook, NY
A wonderful third quarter 19th century Italian 'grand tour' ancient marbles specimen plaque in original silver-gilt frame.
Marble
19th Century Petite Italian Grand Tour Souvenir Bronze Bust of Dante Alighieri
Located in Pearland, TX
A fine antique 19th Century petite Grand Tour souvenir bronze bust of Italian poet Dante Alighieri. This handsome bust is well cast with exquisite details and lovely original patina....
Bronze
Georgian Circa 1790 Italian Grand Tour Micro Mosaic Lady Bird 22 Carat Ring
Located in Lowestoft, GB
Georgian micro mosaic, late eighteenth century circa 1790, finely modelled as a ladybird, set into an octagonal goldstone. The gold mount echoes the octagonal shape of the goldstone...
Gold
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Green Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of green, cream, and grey. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly ...
Marble
Relief medallion in plaster
Located in 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, NL
Relief medallion in plaster by Antonio Canova (1757-1822). The depiction of this relief is 'living from the land'. (It can be hang up)
Plaster
SIGNAL CANNON 1850 Coastal Fortress Battery Cannon In Bronze & Wood
Located in Miami, FL
A 19th century presentation desk signal cannon. This is a superb medium scale model of a fortress battery cannon made in the 19th century, circa 1850. The antique presentation signa...
Bronze
Grand Tour in Bronze. Model of the Temple of Hercules Victor, Mid-19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Grand Tour Bronze and Marble Model of the Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, Mid-19th Century A refined Grand Tour souvenir in patinated bronze and marble, representing the celebrated...
Marble, Bronze
Pair of Oil on Board Harbour Scenes Manner of Luigi Maria Galea
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Manner Of Luigi Maria Galea (1847-1917) circa 1900 The Grand Harbour, Valetta, early morning; and The Grand Harbour, Valetta, at dusk signed illeg...
Paint
$1,595Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Two Custom Framed 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Intaglios, circa 1820
Located in Pearland, TX
A superb pair of framed Grand Tour intaglios, circa 1820. These genuine plaster hand-carved intaglios are all gilt paper wrapped and numbered. They are custom framed on a gray linen ...
Linen, Plaster, Wood, Paper