Abstract

French Canada embarked upon a naval ship building programme between 1738 and 1759 to provide warships for induction into the French navy. Archival records mention the construction of these warships and naval dispatches report on their exploits. These warships were adorned with sculptures made by Canadian sculptors. However, the ephemeral quality of these sculptures and scarce documentation about their aesthetic appearance has resulted in an absence of scholarship on their artistic merit. The sculptures that adorned these ships were unique for every ship, with each sculpture made for the space it was meant to fill and to accommodate its viewing point. Hence, inquiring about the sculptures that adorned the warships built in French Canada requires acknowledging the type of ship they were intended for, their surrounding architectural space, and the perception they were meant to convey. This thesis reviews these three essential elements relative to the naval sculpture practiced by the Canadian sculptors of French Canada in an attempt to discover this lost art.