The Gypsies

In this piece three women wash clothes in a cordoned off stream, under the shelter of a red-roofed structure. In a painting dominated by subtle greens, blues, and muted teal, the red roof and various items of red and purple clothing are emphasised by contrast: these are the elements our eye is drawn to first. These darker tones are balanced in the piece with light blues in the stream, a central patch of sky, and pale clothing hanging over a beam. The yellow tone of the pathways leading to the washing spot suggests a warm light characteristic of a late summer’s afternoon.