Rijksmuseum

A Pedlar Demonstrating his Wares

Date

c. 1608

Medium

paper, ink

Institution

Rijksmuseum

The hawker, in the right foreground, plays a Jew’s harp – also called a trompe (or trump) – a primitive musical instrument. Although his wife tries to stop him, the man at the left is keen to buy such a trifle and reaches into his purse. In the 17th-century ‘Iemand trompen verkopen’ (to sell someone trumps) meant ‘to deceive someone’. Poor customer, he is buying a worthless piece of junk.

The authoritative record is held by Rijksmuseum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.