Cape Town and Jan van Riebeek

I don't normally send out mails and stories that are not verified but when I read about this little story in the archives of the "Tavern of the Seas", a column of our local newspaper the Cape Argus, I felt that it was worth sending out for interest as well as to see if there was anybody out there in cyberworld who could confirm the below-mentioned for me.

It was incredible for me to learn that the title of the founding father of South Africa as well as Cape Town, Jan Van Riebeeck, was not the same man that we have come to learn to recognize via his statue or as we have come to see him on our local paper currencies in the past.

Tom Bulpin was a renowned author on Cape Town who unfortunately passed away two years ago. According to his research and via an article in the "False Bay Echo" he had discovered that the portrait always believed to be that of Jan van Riebeeck, on which the face of the founder was modeled in later years, actually was the portrait of a Hollander by name of Bartholomeus Vermuyder.

If this be true then could you just imagine Bartholomeus Vermuyder back in 17th-century Holland living life with absolutely no idea that one day his portrait would grace millions of banknotes in a far-off African country or that his statue would be seen by virtually every Capetonian  or tourist travelling in our main road viz. Adderley Street.  (-:)

Reference: Content found in "Tavern of the Seas" by Dave Hughes - Cape Argus (Highly recommended daily column well worth reading)

The wife of Jan van Riebeek of Cape Town fame

Last week I pointed out that the Jan van Riebeek that we have got to know over all the years actually was Bartholomeus Vermuyder. I now have it on expert verification via information provided to the late Tom Bulpin by FGLO van Kretschman, who is a well known portrait expert, that this fact is true.

The plot however thickens.

Van Riebeek we are told was married to a lady whom we have got to know as Maria de la Quellerie. Firstly, this not 100% correct as he was married to Maria Quevellerius. Furthermore the lady whom we have go to know as Maria, via her statue on the Cape Town foreshore as well as her portrait, is just like her make believe husband not actually her. The statue WAS a copy from the relevant portrait that we have all got to know, however the portrait is of a lady by name of Catharina Kettingh.

It is also interesting to note that according to Kretschman  there is no known authentic portrait of Jan van Riebeek and his wife and that the portrait of Vermuyder and Kettingh are in the Ryks Museum in Amsterdam.

Don't worry next week I wont be writing to you to tell you that Bartholomeus Vermuyder was married to Maria Kettingh because they were not. (-:)

My thanks goes to Peter Hart for sharing this information with me as well as the late Tom Bulpin for doing all the research so as to find out how we have been hoodwinked over all the years..





Articles submitted by: Selwyn Davidowitz
Email:cptn@mail.com

SATOUR accredited tourguide with an immense passion for Cape Town and its surrounds. To see more about Selwyn's services as a tourguide please click here .