Portraits at the Stock Exchange

In this dynamic pastel on paper, a hushed corner of the Paris Stock Exchange (the Bourse) comes alive. The central figure, banker Ernest May, stands out in his top hat and pince-nez, intently listening to a colleague who leans in conspiratorially. The scene captures a fleeting moment, with sketchy, quickly applied strokes that align it with the Impressionist movement. A third, partially obscured figure holds aloft a document, hinting at the brisk, complex world of finance. The detached, observational viewpoint is typical of the period, inviting us to witness this private negotiation within a bustling public space. The work was already in May’s collection when it appeared in the fourth Impressionist exhibition in 1879, suggesting a close relationship between the artist and his subject.