View of Table Bay

Title on object: Aldus vertoont de Tafel Bay geleegen aende Cabo de Bona Speranca.

The watercolour shows Table Bay, with Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head in the background. Along the bay, we see the Dutch fort, along with the still very small Cape Colony.

Also see Nationaal Archief VELH0619.36, which shows the coastline as a straight line but otherwise has the same composition.

Part of the Carte di Castello, collected by Cosimo de Medici III in 1667 and 1669 during his tours through Europe. Cosimo III bought the 66 watercolours by Vingboons in December 1667 in Amsterdam, through mediation of Pieter Blaeu.