The Aanspreker announcing a Death, Dutch Custom Print, 1811

An original antique hand colored engraving from Evert Maaskamp's Dutch costume series, published in Amsterdam in 1811, lettered in Dutch "Maak bekent dat overleden is" and in French "Je vous annonce la mort de". An aanspreker, the man employed to announce a death from house to house, sweeps off a black tricorn trailing a long mourning streamer at a house door. He wears a white curled wig, white bands at the throat, a long black coat, breeches and stockings and buckled shoes, and holds a written notice. A young woman stands on the stone step with her hands on her hips, in a white cap with a large pink bow, a black choker, a white gown sprigged in blue, a blue and white checked apron and red slippers. Behind are a brick pier, a green railing and a yellow hanging sign lettered VRY WYN.

The captions translate as "Let it be known that ... has died" and "I announce to you the death of", both left open where the name would be spoken. At left is "J. Kuyper, direx." and at right "L. Portman Sculp.", and the plate is numbered "No. 3" above. The imprint reads "Amsterdam, 1811. by E. Maaskamp, Kalverstaat en Dam No. 1." over "London, Published by Colnaghi & Co. Cockspur Street. No. 43."

The plate belongs to Evert Maaskamp's Afbeeldingen van de Kleedingen, Zeden en Gewoonten in Holland, published in Amsterdam with parallel Dutch and French captions and offered in London through Colnaghi and Co. The series records the dress, manners and customs of the northern Netherlands in numbered plates, each a small scene within a ruled border, and many of the captions are a line of dialogue spoken by one of the figures. J. Kuyper signs the plates as director, direx., and they were engraved by L. Portman and finished by hand in watercolor.

A single plate frames well on its own with the full caption showing, and a few plates from the series hung together make a coherent group of Dutch scenes.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.