Detail of The Cathedrals of Wall Street by Florine Stettheimer in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, March 2008

The Cathedrals of Wall Street, 1939
Florine Stettheimer (American, 1871­1944)
Oil on canvas; 60 x 50 in. (152.4 x 127 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Gift of Ettie Stettheimer, 1953 (53.24.2)

More than depicting an isolated moment in time, Stettheimer's paintings depict competing events that continually conflict with one another. In order to capture this cacophony of the city streets the artist frequently includes the creation of sound or music in the composition. On the left a band of musicians in white uniforms marches into the center of the painting led by a majorette. In the left corner, a group of Salvation Army workers are led by Gracie Moore, a famous singer of the day, singing "God Bless America." The artist herself appears in the right corner and seems to be marking the rhythm, or maybe a combination of rhythms, with her high-heeled shoes.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/explore/artists_view/wall_tumult.html