Gezicht op het beursgebouw te Parijs 1847

Dirk Wijbrand Tollenaar created this print depicting the Stock Exchange in Paris at an unknown date using an unspecified technique. Tollenaar’s image encapsulates the grandeur of Parisian architecture and commerce, but let's consider what isn't shown. Who had access to this exchange, and who was excluded? The composition subtly reinforces social hierarchies, portraying the Exchange as a stage upon which only certain figures could tread. The women depicted appear to be strolling or observing, hinting at the limited roles available to them in the financial world. Consider the print's emotional resonance: does it evoke a sense of aspiration, exclusion, or perhaps a detached curiosity about the engine of capitalism? The print invites us to consider how the architecture of finance both reflects and shapes societal power dynamics, prompting questions about access, representation, and the stories that remain untold.