Dirigent staand achter een standaard met een partituur c. 1894

Julie de Graag captured this conductor with pencil on paper. He stands silhouetted against the bright page, baton raised, ready to lead an unseen orchestra. The figure of the conductor, a master of harmony and rhythm, has echoes that reverberate through time. We find similar figures in ancient depictions of priests or shamans, orchestrating rituals and guiding the collective spirit through song and dance. This stance, this role, is not merely about music; it's about control, about channeling a collective energy towards a shared experience. Consider how, in religious art, leaders are often depicted with similar gestures, guiding their flock with unseen forces. The baton, then, is a scepter, a tool of influence. This image touches something primal within us, a recognition of the power inherent in direction and unity. It is a symbol that transcends time.