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