Numbers by artist Francesco Clemente is an oil painting on canvas. It measures roughly six and a half feet tall by nine and a half feet wide. It is hung in landscape orientation, meaning its longest side runs parallel to the floor. The painting depicts a group of women engaged in what appears to be some kind of ritual within the ocean. Starting with the background, which stretches across the full height and width of the composition, there is an endless ocean, with small waves painted in a flowing mixture of greens, blues, and greys. The ocean extends toward the top of the composition where it becomes faded and lighter in color, almost resembling clouds. In the foreground and in the center of the painting there are a group of six women inside the ocean. They are all floating with the water at their navel, exposing their breasts. They have long black hair and are only painted in black outline, letting the color of the ocean behind them come through. They are grouped into two sets of three, divided in the middle by a heart-shaped vase. Starting from the left, the first figure holds a heart-shaped vase or jug, with two curved handles on either side of a narrow neck. She holds the bottom of the vase in the open palm of her hand, which stretches straight up from her shoulder. There are five of these jugs visible throughout the painting, and they are all corked shut. The vases also feature the same heart-like shape and have a vertical slit down their middle, facing the viewer, with red paint dripping out like blood. The shape of the slit resembles a human female’s labia minora and vaginal opening. The figure is tilting her head toward the second figure who is also holding a vase while being intertwined with the third figure. She holds the vase toward the figures on the right. Next to this final figure of the first group there is a vase floating in the water. This vase has two slits instead of just one. Continuing to the right, the second set of figures begins with a woman being embraced by the second figure, who is holding a vase and extending it toward the figures on the left. The final figure directs her sight toward the sky. Her mouth is open as if yelling. She holds the last of the five vases in her hand while her arm is outstretched toward the sky.