The Stock Exchange, London

The painting shows the hustle and bustle of the London Stock Exchange in the 1960s. Jordan depicts the trading floor as it appeared in the mid-1960s, when business was booming. Men in black suits discuss and walk up and down the space filled with people and leaflets on the floor. The Stock Exchange is the centre of financial trading located in the City of London. It was formally established in 1801 in a building in Chapel Court, although it was born in a coffee house at the end of the 17th century and referred to as ‘The Stock Exchange’ in 1773. In 1972, it relocated from the Victorian building in Capel Court, then demolished, to larger premises at 125 Broad Street. In 2004, the Stock Exchange relocated again to its current premises in Paternoster Square, reflecting the changing demands of financial trading.
Roderick Jordan studied at the Royal Academy Schools from 1951 to 1955. He frequently travelled to the South of France and the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica which inspired some of his artwork. He’s been awarded numerous medals and prizes, including the David Murray Prize three times. He has been working as a freelance artist for the ITV and BBC since 1958.