Metallurgical Science, 1902-03

In 1902 Charles Schwab commissioned Jean-Léon-Gérôme, one of the preeminent French academic artists of his day, to sculpt two monumental bronzes for his new mansion on Riverside Drive in New York City. Schwab was the president of U.S. Steel when the project began, but by the time the sculptures were installed on the second floor of the mansion he had retired from that position and become the chairman and president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The work is a personification of scientific metallurgy. Dressed in classical clothing, the female figure has steelmaking equipment at her feet and represents modern advances in the industry.

Allentown, Pennsylvania · United States