Artwork
The Cathedrals of Wall Street
The Cathedrals of Wall Street is an oil painting by Florine Stettheimer. It dates from 1939 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a collage of emblematic motifs that together construct a critique of 1930s American capitalism.
The painting presents a collage of emblematic motifs that together construct a critique of 1930s American capitalism. It incorporates the United States flag, the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, and the headquarters of The Salvation Army, juxtaposing national symbols with institutions of finance and charity. Additional figures, a soldier, a man, an Indigenous person, a musical instrument, and architectural forms, are rendered in a flattened, decorative style characteristic of Stettheimer’s aesthetic.
These iconographic elements function as visual shorthand for the intersecting forces of commerce, militarism, cultural identity, and colonial legacy, offering a layered commentary on the socioeconomic landscape of the era.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1939, Florine Stettheimer's The Cathedrals of Wall Street is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 152.4 cm in height by 127 cm in width. As a painted composition, it utilizes oil pigments applied to a woven fabric support to depict a complex architectural and figural scene.
The medium allows for the rendering of diverse subjects, including specific structures like the New York Stock Exchange, alongside various human figures and symbols such as the United States flag. The piece is classified formally as a painting within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The Cathedrals of Wall Street is an oil-on-canvas painting by Florine Stettheimer dated 1939. The work was created in that year and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains held. Its dimensions are recorded as 152.4 cm in height by 127 cm in width.
The sources document the inception date, medium, and current institutional ownership, but do not provide further details regarding commission, prior ownership, exhibition history, or acquisition circumstances.
Completed in 1939, Florine Stettheimer's oil painting The Cathedrals of Wall Street is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The institution lists the work as part of its permanent holdings, where it remains located. While the available records confirm the painting's inclusion in the museum's assembly and its physical dimensions of approximately 152.4 by 127 centimeters, specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the current documentation.
Furthermore, no details regarding the work's exhibition history, such as specific shows or loan records, are contained within the provided sources.
Context
Florine Stettheimer’s 1939 oil painting The Cathedrals of Wall Street, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies her role in early twentieth‑century American modernism. The work juxtaposes symbols of finance, such as the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street, with allegorical figures and national emblems, reflecting both critique and celebration of capitalism. Its dense, decorative style aligns with Stettheimer’s broader oeuvre, which often integrates narrative elements and feminist perspectives.
Scholars have highlighted the painting’s intricate iconography as a visual commentary on economic power, situating it within discussions of gendered representation in art history.
Overview
The Cathedrals of Wall Street is an oil painting characterized by its vibrant palette and dynamic composition. It presents a bustling urban scene, densely populated with figures and architectural elements. The artwork combines a sense of activity with a distinctive visual approach, inviting viewers to examine its detailed narrative.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Florine Stettheimer (August 19, 1871 – May 11, 1944) was an American modernist painter, feminist, theatrical designer, poet, and salonnière.
