Cleaning the Drapes

1967–1972, printed 2007

Martha Rosler

Associated Names
Martha Rosler

Artist, American, born 1943

To the left of center in this print is black-and-white scene showing two soldiers standing in a rocky trench, both wearing jackets and helmets, with two long guns behind them. Overlaying this central image are long pale yellow drapes or curtains hanging down on either side in thick folds, covered in small white decorative patterns. On the right, a black-and-white woman with pale skin and short, dark hair stands facing the left, vacuuming the curtains with a vacuum that hangs over her shoulder. She is wearing a gray, short-sleeved dress and is looking up towards the soldiers in the central scene.

Media Options

This object’s media is not available for download. Contact us about image usage.

Artwork overview

More About this Artwork

In this black-and-white photograph, five children sit closely together on a couch, reading different comic books and magazines. The comic books obscure the faces of the five children, and they appear absorbed in their reading. A sixth child who appears to be a young boy sits on the ground in front of the couch next to a coffee table piled high with dirty dishes and more comic books. His face is partially visible; he has light skin and dark hair, and he looks over his shoulder to the right. The children wear a variety of clothing with different patterns, including long-sleeved shirts, dresses, belts, and long pants. The wall behind the couch is light gray, with the edge of a framed photo visible at the top.

Article:  12 Documentary Photographers Who Changed the Way We See the World

Photographers of the 1970s revolutionized the medium through innovations of both style and subject.


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Martha Rosler; NGA purchase (through Mitchell-Innes and Nash, New York), 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2016

  • Intersections: Photographs and Videos from the National Gallery of Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2016 - 2017, unnumbered catalogue.

2025

  • The '70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, October 6, 2024–April 6, 2025

Wikidata ID

Q64157799

You may be interested in

Loading Results