Deel van schets van Kaap de Goede Hoop Possibly 1786 - 1787

Jan Brandes made this sketch of the Cape of Good Hope, probably in the late 18th century, using pencil in a bound sketchbook. Brandes was an employee of the Dutch East India Company, a powerful institution that dominated trade in the Indian Ocean for centuries. This sketch gives us a glimpse into the relationship between artistic observation and colonial expansion. Brandes's role as a draughtsman for the VOC meant that his drawings served a very practical purpose, documenting the flora, fauna, and landscape of the Cape Colony for the Company's records. However, it is clear that Brandes was also interested in the Cape for its own sake and it's not a stretch to see this sketch as a kind of self-conscious artistic exploration. The Rijksmuseum has a number of other sketchbooks by Brandes and by comparing these we can gain a deeper understanding of the intersection of art, science, and colonialism in the 18th century.