Woman conducting an orchestra 1885 - 1899

Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier's "Woman Conducting an Orchestra" is a small relief sculpture created between 1885 and 1899. It depicts a woman in profile, seen from the back, conducting with her right hand raised and her left hand resting on a music stand. The work, executed in terracotta, is a fine example of the artist's exploration of the human form and movement. Currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the piece provides a glimpse into the late 19th-century representation of women in artistic professions.