3-098-589 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Rebel, c1914. The scene is a Gypsy camp in the middle of the countryside, home of a nomadic family clan. The makeshift tent in the background is the only reference to any kind of dwelling. In this case, the class struggle has given way to domestic violence and intransigence towards those who feel the yearning for freedom in their blood and confront the established order, in this case, patriarchal paternalism and the repressive tradition that prevents them from choosing their own path. The plot of The Rebel seems to be that of a young Gypsy woman who has fallen in love with a non-Gypsy man, and is being expelled from the camp. There are also hints of melodrama, such as the attitude of the brother or the father who is restrained to prevent the violence from escalating. The older woman, with the child in her arms, rebukes the rebel.