The 18th C Grand Tour in Rome: The Influence of the Triumphal Arch

The 18th C Grand Tour in Rome: The Influence of the Triumphal Arch

It is useful, I find, when examining civic architecture and the architecture of the English country house to remember the classical arch, of which there are key examples in Rome. The triumphal arch and the triumphal column were testament to the dominance of...
The 18th C Grand Tour in Rome: The Influence of the Triumphal Column

The 18th C Grand Tour in Rome: The Influence of the Triumphal Column

When studying the columns of Trajan (113 AD) and Marcus Aurelius (c. 190 AD), I cannot help thinking of them as the inspiration for the Bayeux Tapestry. Although, there is no record to my knowledge of Bishop Odo visiting Rome. The spiralling upwards bas relief reads...
The 18th C Grand Tour in Rome Part 2: Classical Wonder

The 18th C Grand Tour in Rome Part 2: Classical Wonder

What would the Grand Tourist be looking at in terms of the Classical World? The arrival in Rome would be an exciting encounter for the Grand Tourist. They would be surrounded by the ruins of a classical world they had only read about. Firstly, there was the Roman...
The 18th C Grand Tour Part 1: All Paths Lead to Rome & Back Again

The 18th C Grand Tour Part 1: All Paths Lead to Rome & Back Again

On a recent visit to Rome, I found myself wondering what it must have been like for the young patrician of the 18th C Grand Tour. Travelling would not have been comfortable and may well have been dangerous at times. But the arrival in Rome would have fortified the...