On a side note, and not a criticism of the OP photograph, I can see how a bad bokeh can impact a photograph. Just above the sitting guy's head there is that harsh rendering of OOF areas that I find rather distracting.
About the bokeh, you would think it was the product of a poor lens but that's not the case - I used the Fujinon XF35mm (=50), one of their best primes for the Fuji X Pro1, in very poor light at ISO 1000, wide open at f1.4, high shutter speed. The bokeh produced by this lense is usually superb.
I took a shot, lowered the camera slightly and then the artist looked down at whatever is in his hand (the fee?) and produced this strange, satisfied, almost triumphant smile, not directed in the slightest at me. Very fast, deliberately aiming for the portrait and hoping for a soft rendition of the two guys, I took another shot and moved on, without ever exchanging a word with either of them. No high art involved here, I'm sorry to say - just pure raw instinct.
Thank you all all for your kind comments