This watercolour was made by Benjamin Fisher, a British army officer. Between 1785 and 1796, Fisher travelled through Canada and produced works depicting the places he visited, including Québec City. Many of his paintings, including this one, were forgotten for over two centuries in the basement of Balliol College in England. They were found in 2003.

1760 - 1791

Québec City, the maritime capital of the 18th-century

In the decades following 1760, the Province of Quebec became part of the British Empire in North America. The St. Lawrence River was the main commercial gateway to the continent. For Québec City residents, the river had become an even more important part of daily life. Often related to the import or export of goods, their work was closely linked to this waterway. For landscape artists of the period, Québec City was quite inseparable from the St. Lawrence River, which almost always appeared in their artwork. Discover a few of these magnificent works.

Québec City from Lévy Point

Benjamin Fisher This watercolour was made by Benjamin Fisher, a British army officer. Between 1785 and 1796, Fisher travelled through Canada and produced works depicting the places he visited, including Québec City. Many of his paintings, including this one, were forgotten for over two centuries in the basement of Balliol College in England. They were found in 2003.

Chronoscope What do you notice in this piece? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1791

Source: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: between 1785 and 1796

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