Florine Stettheimer, The Cathedrals of Wall Street, 1939⁠

This painting belongs to the Met in NYC, who describes it thus: “This work unites various public figures with the major financial establishments of the day, suggesting the close relationship between politics and big business in New York. The reimagined facade of the New York Stock Exchange pays homage to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the financial leaders Bernard Baruch, John D. Rockefeller, and J. P. Morgan. Perhaps as a warning against the temptations of earthly riches and power, Stettheimer adds a group of Salvation Army workers. The artist also depicts herself; she offers a bouquet of flowers to the brightly gilded sculpture of George Washington outside the former Subtreasury Building.”⁠

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