Arthur Ralph Middleton Todd, R.A. (1891-1966)
The gypsy caravan
oil on canvas
24 x 20 in. (61 x 50.8 cm.)
frame 29 x 24 ½ in. (73.7 x 62.2 cm.)
​
£3200
​
​
​
Nicknamed the ‘kite wagon’ due to it’s sloping walls, the caravan depicted by Arthur Todd is a Reading, a design that was popular with Romany Gypsies for it’s ability to negotiate rough terrain. Contrary to common belief, the caravan was only adopted by the Gypsies in the 1850s - up until then, they travelled by horse and foot, sleeping under carts and pitching tents for shelter (1). Inhabitable horse-drawn wagons were developed in around 1810 in France, and first used by travelling circuses and entertainers.
​
The Romany term for a caravan is a vardo, from the Iranian vurden, a word assimilated as the communities passed through Persia from India (2). Taking up to a year to build, vardoes (made from a combination of oak, pine, ash, elm and walnut) were predominantly commissioned for newly married couples.
​
​
​
FOOTNOTES
​
​
(1) The tents were known as 'benders', due to their hazel rod frames.
(2) Romany Gypsy culture can be traced back to 9th Century India.