A Gipsy Girl
Thomas Lawrence, 1794
Painted in 1794 by Thomas Lawrence, this oil canvas shows a young woman who looks as much like a poacher as a gipsy, clutching a chicken to her chest. An angry farmer appears in the background, suggesting a scene of petty theft rather than a commissioned likeness. It belongs to the category of fancy pictures, imagined scenes rather than portraits. The choice had a practical reason. Lawrence had just been elected a full member of the Royal Academy of Arts, and since portraitists were not allowed to submit their usual work, he had to send in a painting of a different kind as his diploma piece. The sitter is sometimes thought to be Maria Siddons, daughter of the celebrated actress Sarah Siddons, though this identification remains uncertain. Lawrence had romantic ties with both Maria and her elder sister Sally. The painting was shown at a retrospective of his work organised by the British Institution in 1833, and at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857.
- Painter
- Thomas Lawrence
- Date
- 1794
- Medium
- oil paint, canvas
- Dimensions
- 92 × 71 cm
- Museum
- Royal Academy of Arts, London
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