Gezicht op het beursgebouw te Parijs 1850

Alphonse Chamouin made this print of the Paris stock exchange, using etching and engraving techniques, sometime between 1800 and 1870. The grand, neoclassical architecture broadcasts power and stability, yet the Parisian Bourse was more than just a building, it was a social and political stage. In Chamouin’s time, the Bourse embodied both opportunity and exclusion. While it symbolized France's economic ambitions, access was largely limited to wealthy, white men. Women and people of color were observers, their roles dictated by societal norms. The print does more than present an architectural view; it highlights how the city's economic pulse was felt unevenly across its population. While Chamouin’s print appears to be a neutral depiction, it subtly underscores the disparities inherent in the economic systems of 19th-century Paris. It invites us to reflect on who gets to participate in the economy and who is left standing outside.