Representations of the Gypsy in the Romantic Period

In the Romantic period, a range of social, cultural, and political changes and events coalesce in such a way as to produce a sudden and significant amount of pressure on general ideas of what a gypsy might be, and thus on representations of gypsies in literature and art. Because of the very particular situation in which Romantic-period gypsies find themselves, for approximately fifty years the figure of the gypsy becomes a peculiarly effective means through whichanxieties about these changes and events might be articulated. This book examines the way in which writers and artists from the Romantic period depict gypsies, showing how various aspects of thecontemporary context influence those depictions, and highlighting the opportunities offered by the figure of the gypsy for the exploration of a range of hopes and fears.