The Cathedrals of Wall Street

A dense gathering fills a stretch of financial district pavement, rendered in glowing golden tones, with grand architectural forms rising around the crowd. Figures dressed in formal attire mingle beneath fluttering flags, while a portrait of Roosevelt presides over the scene from above. The composition is busy with celebration, suggesting a festive public occasion tied to the commercial heart of the city. This painting was made in 1939 by Florine Stettheimer in oil on canvas, and it is held today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having come to the museum as a gift. Stettheimer, who lived from 1871 to 1944, worked as an artist, costume designer, and designer. One detail worth lingering over is the way the golden architectural elements seem to glitter above the throng, giving the whole gathering an almost theatrical radiance.