People in procession, a cemetery and the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital take centre stage in this watercolour by artist James Pattison Cockburn, whose eye captured a wide swath of institutional life in Québec City. At the time Cockburn painted this scene, the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital was expanding to fulfill its mission of training surgeons.

1806 - 1840

Buildings as power symbols

In Québec City, like in all the world’s capitals, religious and political authorities used buildings to symbolize their power. There is, however, a distinctive feature of Québec City that makes it architecturally unique. Over the course of the city’s history, French and British influences have commingled, forming an ensemble of buildings unlike anywhere else. This album presents buildings—some French, some English—that played a part in the city’s history in the early 19th century. Admire these buildings through the works of the era’s great artists.

Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Québec City

James Pattison Cockburn People in procession, a cemetery and the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital take centre stage in this watercolour by artist James Pattison Cockburn, whose eye captured a wide swath of institutional life in Québec City. At the time Cockburn painted this scene, the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital was expanding to fulfill its mission of training surgeons.

Chronoscope Other than this hospital, founded by the Augustines in 1639, what else do you notice about the landscape? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1822

Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Acc. No. R9266-97 - Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana - Date: 1822

OPEN