The European Grand Tour was a popular journey undertaken by wealthy young individuals, typically English gentlemen, primarily from the late 17th to 19th centuries as a completion to their formal education. It involved extensive travels across continental Europe to explore its cultural treasures and historical sites, shaping the travelers’ education and influencing art and intellectual life during that era. The tour typically ended in Italy, which is where the HHC European Grand Tour Soaps find their inspiration.
During the Grand Tour, young nobles and intellectuals would visit prominent cultural sites, museums, and archaeological sites throughout the Continent. They encountered classical antiquities and artworks that held great historical and artistic significance. To preserve a tangible memory of these encounters, they often commissioned or acquired intaglio plaster impressions (or impronte) from master carvers like Liberotti and Tassie, like those impressions seen in the HHC sets.
These intaglios allowed travelers to take a piece of the classical world back home, serving as a way to both remember their experiences and to study classical art and history. The intaglios were often displayed in collections, used for educational purposes, or even as decorative elements in various forms, including in architecture and jewelry…and now, as specialty guest soaps!
