On Being "Grand"

Okay, so in class I was learning about the "Grand Tour" young elites used to take around Europe. But how could you possibly be grand if you couldn't show off your adventures to everyone else?

Today, we have a plethora of social media people back home can follow along on. Back then though, the options were few. Actually they were nonexistent. So what did they do? Portraiture! What better way to solidify you taking your place in such a grand legacy of history than a grandiose painting of you in front of the Colosseum or an ancient pillar or a lovely statue.

These people took their portraits seriously, getting all decked out in flowy clothes and done-up hair. Their expressions were serious and confident, exuding an air of almost possession with everything their gaze settled on.

So the other day, I got to give it my own shot... Take a look at my "portraits" below. Unfortunately, I may not have had the time or resources to figure out how to get a massive painting done. But I think my iPhone did the trick.

Ooooohhhh, ahhhhhhh. Ok enough drama. So for these poses, I worked on emulating the style and rhetoric of the Grand Tour, both through a "masculine" pose and a more "feminine" one. Today, we are lot looser with expectations for gender and the roles of men and women, but back then, it was everything.

The first shot is confident, assertive. I've got my hand on the fountain like "yeah, I was here; I touched it. Look at me." And apparently, that kind of possessive attitude is exactly what the gentlemen of the Grand Tour wanted to capture.

And to be more ladylike, I decided to be seated, cross my legs, and fold my hands. I don't think I do a great job with the gentle, demure style of ladies of that time, but I tried haha. This pose to me is a bit more relaxed. I fit in to the little fountain, but my figure is less dominant, imposing, just as a proper woman should be. Oh and also, hair up because otherwise that's too seductive and alluring.

Now, to compare that to today's photography style of choice: the selfie.

How do I like these compared to my Grand Tour photoshoot? Well, if I'm being honest, it was kinda fun to wear my fancy dress and traipse through the town taking photos with a look like "yeah, I'm the boss and I own this place." However, it was very much fake and not me in comparison to what I took above.

And if I try to get analytical about my selfies (yes, sorry, bear with me ;), I think the act of taking photos of yourself is really just a modern day version of the Grand Tour portraiture. I want people to see me here. Yes, the scenery is lovely, and I take lots of landscape shots too. But a selfie is a way for me to prove I was here and exert my own little place on this trip.

It's just that the rhetoric and what we value has changed. Back then, they wanted to seem bold, confident, possessive, maybe even "removed/distanced" from what was around them. That's how you proved you were truly part of the elite, educated, and experienced class. Now, from my perspective, the emphasis is less on this seriousness and more about having fun and enjoying travel.

In my photos I laugh and smile and show people I'm having a great time. The message that I want to create is "I'm here, and I'm LOVING it!" It's still possible to put a lot of thought into your selfies (just like they did for portraits), but the intent is to make it look effortless. No one else is allowed to see the 30 version of the first picture I took before deciding this one had the best expression and view of the waterfall, lol. But that doesn't mean I didn't put some work into it and considered how I wanted to be seen.

Ultimately, these later two pictures are better, because they're more me. They show what's important to me here: pretty scenery, having fun, and of course, good food/drinks. This is my Grand Tour, and my selfies are a quick glance into my world abroad.

Wow, betcha didn't expect to go deep about selfies today, huh? Gotta say, summer abroad classes make you think about some odd but pretty cool/interesting stuff.