This print is the second of six states, each of which was editioned separately. (In printmaking, a state refers to each stage in the development of a print.) In the first state, five paintbrushes (hence the title) are suspended in space like a sculptural frieze. In the second state, seen here, Dine added six brushes to the group while retaining the original title. In subsequent stages, Dine retained all eleven brushes, but altered the background and cut down the plate along the top and bottom edges.