The Fixed Price, Shopkeeper and Customer, Dutch Costume Print, 1811

This is an original antique copper engraving with hand coloring, plate No. 6 of Maaskamp's series on Dutch dress and customs, captioned in Dutch "Daar is niet aan aftedingen: het is de gezette prys." A shopkeeper in a large white wig, a long blue coat, dark breeches and buckled shoes leans over a blue gray counter fitted with glass topped display cases, holding up a small object between his fingers. The customer stands with her back to us, a small purse in her hand. She wears a red brown jacket embroidered with colored flowers, a black apron over a green skirt, and a lace cap with a gold band at the temple and a long white lace veil falling behind.

The Dutch caption translates as "There is no bargaining over it: it is the fixed price." The French caption reads "C'est un prix fait: il n'y a rien à en rabattre.", that is, "It is a set price: there is nothing to take off." Below the image the credits read "J. Kuyper, direx." at lower left and "L. Portman, Sculp." at lower right, naming J. Kuyper as the artistic director and L. Portman as the engraver. The imprint reads "Amsterdam 1811. by E. Maaskamp, Kalverstraat en Dam No. 1." with a second line, "London Published by Colnaghi & Co. Cockspur Street No. 48.", naming the London print sellers Colnaghi and Co.

The plate belongs to Afbeeldingen van de Kleedingen, Zeden en Gewoonten in de Noordelijke Provinciën van het Koningrijk der Nederlanden, the survey of dress, manners and customs in the northern Netherlands published in Amsterdam by Evert Maaskamp, with a parallel French text. Each plate pairs its figures with a short exchange in Dutch, sometimes in regional dialect, and in French, so the costume studies also read as small genre scenes.

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