| There are no known portraits of Jacques Cartier, often regarded as the discoverer of Canada. He was certainly the first explorer of the Gulf of St. Lawrence which became the gateway to French power in North America. In July 1534, he raised a cross at Gaspé bearing the arms of France, an act which can be regarded as the founding of New France. Hamel's portrait is copied from a painting, since destroyed by fire, done in 1839 by François Riss for the town of St. Malo in France, Cartier's birthplace. Hamel (1817-1870) greatly influenced the following generation of Québec painters. His successful career included the position of official portrait artist to the Québec government. Oil on canvas
C-011226 |