Abstract

The visual analysis of four Quebec marine ex-votos, namely the Ex-voto de Charles Edouin (1709), the Ex-vota de Madame Riverin et ses enfants (1712), the Ex-voto de Ludovicy Prat (1706), the Ex-voto des cinq naufragés de Lévis (1754) is thoroughly executed within this thesis, all of which are on exhibition in the Musée de Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré near Quebec City. By doing so, it is revealed the extent to which Quebec marine ex-voto images reflect a close relationship between the divine and material realms as well as the degree of piety among religious individuals during this era. With reference to the theory of the sublime, first introduced by Edmund Burke and elaborated upon by John Dennis, which illustrates the extent to which the sea elicited fear and horror as well as the correlation between the divine and the material spheres, this thesis works to provide a window into the social and cultural structures of eighteenth century Quebec. The sources that these marine images drew from, namely French ex-voto paintings, are numerous and will provide some explanation of this 'other worldliness' that they exude. In order to effectively contextualize these four Quebec marine ex-votos, this thesis also includes a comparison between the four ex-votos and three of their French counterparts in order to detect the characteristics and distinctiveness of Quebec marine ex-votos during the eighteenth century.