A graphic representation of the ratio of the three elements that compose gunpowder. Various armies used slightly different ratios of these essential elements to create explosive powder that was used in muskets and cannons. This is the ratio of the British army: 75% saltpeter or potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, 10% sulfur. In the painting, the different elements are displayed as horizontal bands. The thickness of the bands represents the ratio of that element as present in the British formulation. This combination lays over marsh grass that was sourced in Brooklyn. Marsh grass was plentiful in the Gowanus area during the time of the Battle of Long Island.