Young Gypsies
Laura Knight (1877–1970)
Worthing Museum and Art Gallery

Transcript

So the Young Gypsies picture shows three young children in tall grass with caravans in the background and a little dog. And even further in the background, some trees and the children have really beautifully painted skin tones, very rich and realistic. But as you move back, the background becomes more sketchy and you can feel movement. It was painted by Dame Laura Knight, who was the first woman painter to become part of the Royal Academy, which is quite something. Interestingly, she knew the mother of the children in the painting and befriended the Romani Gypsy community. There’s something very pleasing about the fact that you know they’re real children.

She’s kind of created a homage to that family really, in a way, and in a very respectful and celebratory way she’s painted with a positive view of these people, because I think at a time when Gypsies and Romani were suffering a lot, it’s quite profound that she had a relationship with a family. I don’t know that much about the stigma, but from that time there are a lot of nasty rhymes about gypsies and I imagine it goes back to then.
I know that it’s very hard from working in charities to get Romani communities to trust you. She must have had to spend a long time painting these children in oils, so there must have been a big relationship there and a trusting one.
That must be the richest childhood you could ever have. That was a word that jumped out at me as well, childhood. You’re laying in the tall grass, the dogs running around, going anywhere, playing all sorts of games, so no pressures of mobile phones and cars and just total freedom. Oh lovely.
Because they look to me like they could have given up on a previous life. But on the other hand this family community are people who are living with nature and I get the feeling the gypsies also feel they are part of nature in their way of living.
I get the feeling of timelessness. There is no sense of time. You just live and it’s just so beautiful.
The children are also placed on the thirds within the plane of the picture, which adds to the sense of calm and peacefulness.
I think it’s two young girls and this young boy with his hands in his pockets looking over them, he looks naughty. The boy in the painting, his name was Gilderoy Smith. He does look a little bit mischievous, that kind of cheeky expression with his hands in his pockets. He’s standing there with his legs astride and you wonder if he’s got something up his sleeve to disturb the two young girls who are kind of resting.
I was just looking at their carriages, what it would be like to sleep in those at night. Would it be cosy and comfy? And I think, well, what food would they be eating? I imagine whether that be living off the land or whether they would be—I don’t know. I can’t imagine what food they would be eating. I think the whole thing that stands out to me is the detail of the way the grass folds around the young children and layers, kind of like one with the ground. But it just really reminds me of childhood, where you just roll around and have fun in the grass for years and years.