Collecting
The Grand Tour was an important rite of passage for wealthy young men, a final flourish in their education and an extended jolly. At its peak in the 18th century, the Tour remained fashionable until the early 1800s. Travellers spent months or even years exploring the great cities of Europe and the wonders of the ancient world. After gazing at the ruins of ancient Rome, and trekking to the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii, some aristocrats with near-bottomless pockets embarked on the shopping binge of a lifetime. They carted marble
