The Camp, Woodend

This oil painting shows a scene from the same camping trip as Untitled [Woodend Beach],which is also part of the Macmillan Brown Collection. Unlike Woodend Beach, The Camp, Woodend shows less of the forest surrounding the tent and more of the daily life of the campers. Surrounding the tent are assortments of things associated with such a holiday, such as portable tables and cooking equipment. Inside the tent is the same woman as seen in Woodend Beach, who is most likely Johnstone’s wife, Bessie. She wears the same light blue dress, and sits inside the sparsely furnished tent on a camp bed. She appears to be working with something in her lap, perhaps sewing or mending something. The scene appears hot and dry, with little vegetation in the foreground and a defined shadow created by the tent and the table; a typical summer’s day in Canterbury.