This view of Sydney Cove taken from Cumberland and Fort streets on the Rocks, facing east, clearly shows the lack of development on the eastern shore in the 1840s. Macquarie Fort is situated on Bennelong Point, the current site of the Opera House and the partially completed new Government House shines like a beacon on the top of the rise.

This painting was one of six artworks acquired from Conrad Martens by Governor Gipps and is a rare interior view of Sydney Cove. Most of Martens’ works are distant landscapes. Details, like the washing hanging out to dry, may have been added to make the work more interesting rather than being from direct observation.