Dutch Costume – 1811

19th-Century Dutch Regional Costumes and Merchant Trade

This authentic 1811 hand-colored stipple engraving captures a classic merchant exchange from the Netherlands during the early 19th century. Titled “Daar is niet aan aftedingen: het is de gezette prys” (This is not negotiable, it is a fixed price), the historical plate features an interaction between a male shopkeeper and a female customer. The young woman from Alkmaar displays a traditional Dutch regional costume, consisting of a deep maroon floral-patterned jacket, a prominent dark apron layered over a vibrant green ankle-length skirt, and an intricate white lace cap. This exquisite print provides an intimate look at the historical textiles and daily clothing worn by the working class in the Batavian Republic.

Early Dutch Printmaking and Historical Mercantile Settings

Originally published in Amsterdam by Evert Maaskamp, this piece is part of the notable historical series “Afbeeldingen van de kleedingen, zeden en gewoonten in Holland.” Engraved by Louis Portman after the artwork of Jacques Kuyper, the scene intricately details a shopkeeper belonging to the Moravian Church (Evangelische Broedergemeente) in Zeist behind a wooden sales counter, leaning over a glass display case to showcase a delicate needle box. The print includes bilingual captions in both Dutch and French, serving as a primary cultural archive that reflects the retail etiquette, social classes, and regional fashion diversity during the late Georgian and Napoleonic era.