Images of “La Chasse Gallerie”: Traditional and Contemporary

To consider: What do these images have in common? What is different? Who are the people in the canoe? What might indicate that supernatural forces are at work? Are there any symbols representing Le Diable or L’Eglise?

Rachel BOURQUE, La Chasse-galerie Circa 1980

Musée acadien de l'Université de Moncton

An Ice Sculpture from Le Carnaval de Québec

Images of “La Chasse Gallerie”: Traditional and Contemporary (Document 2)

Henri Julien, 1906

Henri Julien was born in Québec in 1852. He was one of the first French Canadians to paint scenes from Québecois life and culture. After his death in 1908, the city of Montréal paid him homage by naming a street after him. This is his most famous painting, and a similar sketch:

Fernand Thifault; Saint-Adelphe, Quebec; 1977; house paint on canvas;

This painting depicts "La chasse- galerie", a well-known Quebec legend. Woodcutters leave their camp to go and celebrate in the village; the trip is made in a flying canoe propelled by the power of the devil; but on the return trip one of the travellers does something forbidden and the canoe becomes stranded at the top of a spruce tree. The figures in this painting are all familiar inhabitants of Saint-Adelphe, adding a touch of humour to the legend. The artist has given himself a pseudonym by changing the spelling of his name on the canvas.

LA CHASSE-GALERIE SUR L'ÉPIPHANIE

by LOUISE AUBÉ; Ca 2000

Marie-France Nitski, Ca 1990