Edgar Degas: At the Stock Exchange

This is an interesting artwork, for two reasons :-

1. The people are very quotidian, very everyday. The things they are doing are

everyday, and I could see them as normal people; however, of course, their entire life is different to mine. Even the way they dress, great though I think it is, is completely rare nowadays.

1. There is apparently an anti-Semitic subtext to this, due to the exaggerated

features of the people involved. However, I didn't notice it at all! It's firstly strange to see what some people notice in the details which I do not, but also to realise that the artists themselves have fuller lives outside of the artwork, and some of them may have not-so-pleasant views...

Also, this artwork is from a similar period to the James Tissot previously listed here. It's interesting to see that there was a sort of community amongst similar professionals at that time. Of course that is not a rare thing to notice, and I believe the social circles were clearer to see at that time than now. However now, whether the circles are smaller and less developed, or whether simply they are more private, I do not know.