Gezicht op feestelijkheden in een haven met galeischepen

Jacques Rigaud created this print of festivities in the port of Marseille. Though undated, it gives us insight into the social and cultural life of 18th-century France. The scene bustles with activity. Dignitaries are milling around, and there's a cannon in the foreground. But what’s really striking is the galley ship itself. These ships were once a mainstay of naval power, but by this time, they were largely symbols. However, they still evoked the harsh realities of maritime power, manned as they were by enslaved or forced laborers. The festivities depicted here, then, are taking place against a background of exploitation. As historians, we can look into archival sources, such as ship manifests and port records, to understand the full complexity of this image. This print gives us clues about the social, political, and economic structures of its time.