Judith Brodsky was an important figure in the feminist movement in the arts in the 1970s in the USA. The title of this piece suggests that it is in some way instructive, like a diagram. With its brilliant colour and almost hieratic disposition across the page, it unashamedly celebrates the worn and humble dishrag. The general depiction recalls a national flag, suggesting that the work of women in the home should be recognised as key to social cohesion and a source of pride, national and personal. At the same time, it is frayed and torn like the battle standard of an army which has fought long and hard. It thus suggests physically demanding effort and struggle - the 'constant battle' of the housewife against dirt and disorder perhaps? The object’s identity is not immediately clear, but once it emerges the viewer recognises its ironic humour as well as the underlying seriousness.

This print was created for a portfolio for the United Nations Year of the Woman in 1977, along with work by eleven other New Jersey artists.