[1] The work depicts John's cleaning woman, Mrs. Atkinson, sitting in a room covered with flocked wallpaper.

[2] There is a sheep skull on the mantelpiece, though this is not thought to have symbolic meaning.

[3] Simon Schama writes that she is "glancing anxiously sideways, uncertain of what is wanted of her.

"[2] The painting was exhibited at the New English Art Club in the spring of 1900, marking a strong phase of her career that also saw her Self-portrait on display there about that time.

[3] It is considered among the "carefully executed tonal paintings of rather detailed genre subjects" in her first mature oil works.