It is a realistic figure of a woman, with the hands resting on her hips and her head tilted forward. A scarf slips off her shoulders. The sculpture is a full plaster cast, covered with a patina of a mix of dark brown and red colors. It is 46 cm tall, 22 cm wide and 14 cm deep.

In the years 1907–1908, Szczepkowski was on a scholarship in Paris thanks to a grant received from the Foundation of Czartoryscy. Initially, the scholarship was supposed to last one year, but as a result of the artist's petition, it was extended by another year. It was not without Auguste Rodin’s help, who supported the extension of the scholarship. Szczepkowski considered him as one of his masters and visited him in his studio during his stay in Paris. “Over the precipice” was very much inspired by Rodin’s style of composition. It presents a woman standing on a rock, leaning forward and staring into the abyss. It is a reflection of the idea of loneliness, hopelessness of human fate.