Jacques Cartier was the first explorer the King of France sent to Canada. After a reconnaissance in 1534, Cartier came back in 1535 with the goal of overwintering. Cartier and his crew set up camp in what is now Québec City. Ill-adapted to the cold and without adequate provisions, the group struggled to make it through the winter, even with the help of the Indigenous locals. Exhausted, Cartier and his companions returned to France in the spring of 1536. Forever anchored in our collective memory, this voyage has been rendered in artwork, many of which you can discover in this album!
Antonio Masselotte
This painting by Quebec artist Antonio Masselotte dates from the early 20th century. It depicts Cartier’s crew in a procession to thank Our Lady of Rocamadour for saving them from scurvy, a disease caused by malnutrition. In his travel diary, Cartier explained that Indigenous people cured the French with a birch bark tea.
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