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This piece shows an eerie landscape. It looks like a storm is about to hit Côte-de-Beaupré, a town just outside Québec City. It would seem that Cap Tourmente—“cape of torment”—deserves its name! However, this area has been fertile land for over 2,000 years and was intensively farmed under the French Regime, becoming an important food source for Québec City.
1799 - 1830

Québec City’s surroundings through artists’ eyes

This album takes you on a tour around Québec City, by way of works George Heriot and James Pattison Cockburn painted at the turn of the 19th century. Based in Québec City, Heriot was a British-born civil servant who worked to improve the postal service with Montréal. Cockburn was a British soldier deployed in Québec City. Both were passionate about art and painted many pieces of the landscapes they visited on their walks around Québec City. Discover some of the works of these artists who left their mark in the country’s art history!

The ruins of Château Richer and Cape Tourmente

George Heriot This piece shows an eerie landscape. It looks like a storm is about to hit Côte-de-Beaupré, a town just outside Québec City. It would seem that Cap Tourmente—“cape of torment”—deserves its name! However, this area has been fertile land for over 2,000 years and was intensively farmed under the French Regime, becoming an important food source for Québec City.
Chronoscope Can you locate this scene on the map? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Acc. No. 1989-479-12:B - Date: 1807