This robust mid-19th-century oil painting by British painter Frederick Henry Henshaw (1807-1891) depicts a gypsy encampment within a deep wooded area. It’s typically Victorian and rendered with the confidence of an established Academy artist.

On the left, a channel of light illuminates several figures resting by a blazing fire. Smoke rises, twisting and taken by the breeze. While on the right, two trees strike impressive vertical forms as they emerge from a riverbank. The beauty of the natural world with all its gnarled imperfections.

The Victorians generally had an overly-romanticised view of gypsy life, derived primarily through literature. Several artists portrayed gypsies as representing an escape from typical societal constraints. Living free and basing all decisions upon emotional response without restraint. Being truly at one with nature.

Here, Henshaw used the landscape itself to echo that sentiment - he creates a composition that reinforces the bucolic fantasy. Note the contrast between sky and woodland to add spaciousness and a sense of escape. And the passages of rugged brushwork, which enhance character.

Frederick Henry Henshaw was a consummate professional and a regular at the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1844, when this was created, he was living in Small Heath, Birmingham.

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Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 33½” x 38½” / 85cm x 98cm
Year of creation: 1844
Condition: Artwork presents well. Craquelure but the paint is stable. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction highlight: £9,000 achieved for an oil painting in 1993.