The Grand Tour is the name given to  a tradition of travel around the cities of Europe made by young men (and occasionally young women) of the upper class, especially the British upper class. These extended tours became customary beginning in the late 17th c., and grew in popularity until the middle of the 19th c. It was considered a vital part of a young person’s education to see the artistic riches and classical remains of Europe, particularly those of France and Italy. As he neared completion of his own Grand Tour, James Boswell, the 18th-century biographer, wrote: “I have viewed with enthusiasm classical sites, and the remains of the grandeur of the ancient Romans. I have made a thorough study of architecture, statues and paintings; and I believe I have acquired taste to a certain degree.” (Letter to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1765). Web resource here.

Pompeo Batoni. Portrait of John Talbot. Oil on canvas. 1773. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.