Jean Pierron (1631-1700) : missionnaire, diplomate et peintre en Amérique
The following study is devoted to the Jesuit father Jean Pierron (1631-1701). Arriving from Lorraine in 1667, Pierron participated in the Catholic mission to the Mohawk of the Hudson Valley, after being formally introduced to delegates of this nation by the intendant Jean Talon. Working in a half-dozen villages, Pierron designed an audiovisual method of conversion based upon didactic drawings and paintings. The missionary was also an energetic traveller, both within Mohawk territories and to the English colonies. These journeys point to Pierron’s earlier experiences and more precisely, to the network of contacts he seems to have developed in Europe. In sum, the life of this polyglot missionary, diplomat and painter underscores the importance of the broader strategic and political context of the Jesuit missions.
Jean Pierron Jesuit Missions New France Seventeenth Century Jean Pierron