The Black Presence in Tudor England

Learn more about John Blanke, a trumpeter who performed at the coronation of Henry VIII, and other documented free Black residents of Tudor England.

John Blanke was a trumpeter who performed at the funeral of Henry VII and at the coronation of Henry VIII.

What else do we know about the life and experiences of Blanke and other documented free Black residents of Tudor England, including a silk weaver, a salvage diver, a needleworker, and others?

Learn more in this lecture on the Black presence in Tudor England, presented in conjunction with The Met exhibition The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England, on view through January 8.

Featuring:
Dr. Miranda Kaufmann, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London, and author of Black Tudors: The Untold Story

Michael I. Ohajuru FRSA, Senior Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London, and Director of The John Blanke Project

Introductions by:
Denise Murrell, Merryl H. and James S. Tisch Curator at Large, Office of the Director

Made possible by Denise R. Sobel

© 2023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art



A mixed-media collage decorated with two black-and-white photos, a childlike drawing, and an image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus surrounding a drawing of a flower and poem about the artist's mother.
Learn more about the artist’s singular blending of media, Puerto Rican and Nuyorican culture, activism, issues of colonialism, and personal history in his remarkable prints.
Deborah Cullen-Morales
September 27
Close up shot of a man in all black playing the violin.
Video
In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
September 16
Man performing in all black, using the violin.
Video
In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
September 9
More in:IdentitySocial ChangeMusic