This work involves no less than two hundred handkerchief-sized pieces of linen onto which the French artist Annette Messager has embroidered misogynistic proverbs. Messager, who characterises herself as a practical woman (femme pratique), tricky woman (truqeuse), collector (collectioneuse) and artist (artiste), has assembled these sayings from many different countries, such as Criticise your wife from the very first day, or Women are like spices, the more you beat them the better they smell. These contemptuous expressions have been carelessly embroidered on the cloths, in a manner that deliberately avoids the precision required by the craft of embroidery - traditionally the work of women, and regarded as an essential part of a good upbringing. Just by deviating from the straight line of chain stitch, Messager underlines the irony of the work, as she exposes the conceptions of femininity that the proverbs convey. Another deviation is seen in the fact that she not only declines meticulousness, but also replaces the eulogy of the feminine virtues and woman’s household obligations that traditionally features in embroidery with misogynistic slogans. Embroidery has become rebellion. Collection Fonds régional d'art contemporain (Frac) de Lorraine, Metz