Module manager: Kerry Bristol
Email: K.A.C.Bristol@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
ARTF2059
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The Grand Tour’s origins lie in the early seventeenth century, when a small number of British aristocrats left their native islands to explore the cultural capitals of Europe. By the eighteenth century, it had developed into a rite of passage for privileged young men sent abroad to expand their knowledge of the visual arts, architecture, music and foreign political systems. Throughout Italy, a thriving cultural industry arose to meet foreign demand. Dealers operated within a lively market for antiquities, many of which were composed of fragments or heavily restored, and artists such as Batoni, Piranesi and Canaletto developed new modes of portraiture and landscapes or cityscapes that emphasised specificity of place. These will be considered alongside Old Masters acquired by important collectors for display in their town and country houses. Many of these objects were later sold or donated to form the core collections of institutions such as the British Museum and National Gallery, where they continue to raise questions about authenticity, legality of acquisition and ‘correct’ methods of display. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
On this module, you will follow a typical Grand Tour itinerary from London or Dublin to Florence, Rome, Naples and Venice, assessing the differing experiences of certain travellers, guides, artists and dealers in these cities. Most weeks, engagement with selected case studies will also encourage you to analyse the classification systems and modes of display of important collections once objects were shipped back to the British Isles as well as develop your skills in visual analysis and ability to critique the often-competing interpretations of the Grand Tour in recent literature. A visit to Special Collections of the Brotherton Library provides an opportunity to explore eighteenth-century guidebooks and archaeological publications on key sites such as Herculaneum, Pompeii, Palmyra and Athens, and fosters your skills in textual analysis of primary sources.
On successful completion of the module, you should be able to:
1. Construct a logically developed interpretation of the Grand Tour as a gendered phenomenon influenced by concepts of history and Britain’s place within it;
2. Describe and valuate the complex relationship between the object/antiquity as excavated, the object as restored, and the object as displayed in the aristocratic town- or country house;
3. Critique the complex relationship between a building or antiquity as excavated and that same building or antiquity as published;
4. Appraise the international networks that supported Grand Tourists, from painters to bankers, dealers and diplomats.
On successful completion of the module, you should be able to demonstrate the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Communicate effectively in written form to articulate an argument, supported by relevant evidence and adhering to academic convention and choice of subject-specific vocabulary.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of academic conventions in the choice of vocabulary and sentence structure, and to select the most appropriate and effective methods of communication to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. Search for, evaluate and use appropriate and relevant information sources to help strengthen the quality of academic work and research
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Lectures | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Seminars | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Seminars | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Private study hours | 179.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Formative feedback on an essay plan will take place during a supervision session to ensure that appropriate case studies have been selected and that students have an opportunity to discuss their interpretation of either a set question or a question of their own devising. Feedback will also be provided on the unassessed small group presentations that take place throughout the semester.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team