Americans & the Tradition of the Grand Tour of Italy

Dr. Paul Manoguerra, director and curator of Gonzaga's Jundt Art Museum, examines the tradition and history of the Grand Tour (the custom of a trip to Europe taken primarily by upper-class young men to socialize and gain experience), by focusing on American artists and asking a few seminal questions: Why visit and depict Italy? Why were American artists traveling abroad making images of Italy for U.S. patrons and audiences? What does the art with Italian subject matter, rooted in travel, say about the beliefs, values, ideas, and assumptions of Americans?