Essential Information

Type Talks and tours
Location
Online
Date and Times 22 October 2024 | 5:15pm
Prices Free
Join via Zoom See more events in this series

Art historian Meredith Martin and historian Gillian Weiss discuss their co-authored book, The Sun King at Sea: Maritime Art and Galley Slavery in Louis XIV’s France (Getty Research Institute Publications, 2022).

The book focuses on the presence and depiction of enslaved Muslims who were captured or purchased to row French royal galleys during the reign of King Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715). 

Examining ship design, artillery sculpture, medals, paintings and prints, the book uncovers forced labour as a vital aspect of royal representation between France’s Mediterranean coast and its capital. The Sun King at Sea not only decentres the study of French art in this period but also challenges the assumption that human bondage had long vanished from continental France. 

Martin and Weiss will talk about their process of collaboration and the major insights gleaned from their book, and will also discuss a related exhibition they are currently organising with the historian M’hamed Oualdi for the Institut du monde arabe in Paris.

Event details

This event is free and open to everyone, and will take place via Zoom. There is no need to book; please click on the button below shortly before 5:15pm on the day.

Join the event

What’s On

Exhibitions

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum
Open daily until July 2025 | 10am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Exhibitions

Earth From Space

See the world through a satellite’s lens, and explore our changing planet at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Open daily | 10am-5pm
Free for Planetarium show ticketholders and Royal Observatory visitors
Royal Observatory
Exhibitions

Women of the RNLI

Celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea at the National Maritime Museum
Open daily | Ends 1 December 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
Exhibitions

70 years of Cutty Sark in Greenwich

A new display explores how the ship made its final voyage to its Thames-side location
Open daily | 10am-5pm
Included with Cutty Sark entry
Cutty Sark
Talks and tours

Behind the scenes tours

Explore the inner workings of Royal Museums Greenwich and see conservation in action on one of our guided tours
Second and fourth Thursday of every month (see page for details) | 1.30pm
Adults: £16 | Members: £12
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Workshops

The Optimism Sessions

Join us for 'The Optimism Sessions', a 12-week creative wellbeing programme for those from a global majority background, aged 18 - 24. Participants will explore art, play, and reflection to rethink how they can positively impact the world.
Thursday 17 October - Thursday 19 December 2024 and two additional session on Saturday 26 October and 9 November
Free
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

Echoes of the Sea and Sky

Join us in the month we celebrate Cutty Sark’s 155th birthday for a beautiful chamber choir concert underneath the ship’s magnificent hull.
Thursday 14 November 2024 | 7.30pm - 9.15pm
General admission: £15 | Members, Students and Under 25s: £10
Cutty Sark
Family fun

SENsory Social Club

Join the weekly online club for adults and young people with SEND
Friday during term time | 11am (Online session) or 1pm (Onsite session)
Pay what you can
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Planetarium shows

The Sky Tonight

A classic guide to the night sky presented live by a Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer
Daily except Thursdays
Adult £12 | Child £6 | Student & Under 25: £8
Royal Observatory
Workshops

Saturday Art Club

Join the weekly creative drop-in for young people aged 13-16 during term time at the National Maritime Museum
Saturdays from October 2024 - April 2025 | 10am-1pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours

Character Encounters

Visit the National Maritime Museum every Saturday to discover a different character from history with their own fascinating story to tell
Every Saturday
Free
National Maritime Museum
Family fun | Identity

LGBTQ+ Family Network

A safe space for local LGBTQ+ families to meet one another, get involved in creative activities for all ages and explore the stories within the collection
23 November | 11am-1pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Experiences

Observatory Unlocked

Drop by and chat with our Royal Observatory Explainers as they bring science and astronomy to life
Saturdays and Sundays
Included with Royal Observatory admission
Royal Observatory
Events and festivals

Disability History Month at the Queen's House

Join us for a day of talks to mark Disability History Month
Saturday 16 November 2024 | 11am-4.30pm
Free (with the exception of the Treasures Tour)
Queen's House
Family fun

Meet the characters of Cutty Sark

Meet colourful characters from Cutty Sark’s past and hear astonishing stories about life at sea in the age of sail
Weekends and Fri-Mon in school holidays
Included with entry to Cutty Sark
Cutty Sark
Planetarium shows

Ted's Space Adventure

Join Ted the bear on an adventure around the Solar System in this special live planetarium show for under-7s - perfect for little astronauts everywhere!
Weekends and school holidays
Adults £12 | Child £6 | Student & Under 25: £8
Royal Observatory
Planetarium shows

Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System

Experience the Solar System like never before - by travelling on a spacecraft that can turn the objects in space into sound!
Weekends and school holidays
Adult £12 | Child £6 | Student & Under 25: £8
Royal Observatory
Talks and tours

Saturday Super Store Tours

Come behind the scenes and explore the stores at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Saturdays at 1.30pm
£12
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Planetarium shows

Starstruck

Discover the birth, life and death of a star presented live by a Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer
Weekends and school holidays in November
Adult £12 | Child £6 | Student & Under 25: £8
Royal Observatory
Family fun

Discover Sundays

Each Sunday come and explore the Museum's collection through hands on creative activities
Term time Sundays | 11am - 1pm | 2pm - 4pm
Free | Drop-in
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals

Remembrance: A Call to Mind

Join us at the Queen's House for a mix of talks, live performances and a film screening, as we remember the Armed Forces and their families
Sunday 17 November | 12pm-4pm
Free
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Member events

Flamsteed Lecture: The James Webb Space Telescope at the Edge of the Universe

A Flamsteed Astronomy Society lecture by Professor Andy Bunker
Monday 18 November | Doors at 6.30pm, event starts at 7.15pm (Sold Out)
Flamsteed Members: FREE| Guests of Flamsteed Members: £15 | Royal Museums Greenwich Members: £12
National Maritime Museum
Family fun

Play Tuesdays

Bring your under 5 on a different adventure every week! Explore the Museum together through song, dance and stories
Term time Tuesdays | 10.30am, 11.30am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm
£4 per child and accompanying adult | Under 6 months free
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Maritime History and Culture Seminars

Shadows on the Atlantic: curating new perspectives on colonial maritime history

Join us for a free online talk exploring the creation of the new ‘Shadows on the Atlantic’ gallery at the Dutch National Maritime Museum
19 November 2024 | 5.15pm
Free
Online

Main image: Charles Le Brun (French, 1619–90). The Reestablishment of Navigation, 1663, 1678–84, oil on canvas. Painted medallion for the Hall of Mirrors ceiling. Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, inv2921. ©RMN-Grand Palais / René-Gabriel Ojeda / Francl Raux / mounting Dominique Couto / Art Resource, NY.