| The bronze bull - known as the Charging Bull, or Wall Street Bull is a symbol of the New York stock exchange on Wall Street. Its creator is a sculptor Arturo Di Modica, born in Sicily. The weight of the sculpture is more than three tons. The statue personifies financial optimism and prosperity (the combination of “bulls” and “bears”).
Di Modica manufactured the sculpture on his initiative and with his money and installed it on December 15, 1988 opposite the New York Stock exchange as a sample of “street art”. Soon, city authorities removed the bull from the street and placed it in an impound lot. However, New Yorkers liked the bull and the city authorities had to reinstall it but on Broadway, in the area near Bowling Green, two blocks away from the place where it was installed by its creator.
The bronze Wall Street Bull is one of the most photographed attractions of the Financial District.
In the news: One of the most popular city sculptures the “Charging Bull” is on sale in New York, reports Reuters.
The declared minimum cost of the sculpture is 5 million USD. The creator and owner of the “Charging Bull” (also known as the Wall Street Bull) Arturo Di Modica stated that the buyer should keep the sculpture where it stands now. In exchange, the new owner will receive an honorable plaque and a tax reduction.
Di Modica recollects that the inspiration, which led to the creation of the sculpture, had come after the stock market crash in 1987. More than 300,000 dollars and two years were spent on making the “Wall Street Bull”.
In 1989, the sculptor with the help of about 30 friends, a crane and cargo platform installed the three-ton bull in front of the New York stock Market.
In spite of the public protests the police confiscated the sculpture but however, soon according to the decision of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the “Wall Street Bull” was reinstalled on Broadway, just a five minutes walk in distance from the stock exchange.
The Charging Bull is part of New York, and it should remain in New York states Di Modica in an interview to journalists. I created it as a symbol of hope for people.
He also said that the major portion of the money received for the sculpture shall be spent on the creation of other works and for charitable purposes. |
Wall Street Bull sculpture, also called the Charging Bull, or the Bowling Green Bull, is one of the symbols of The Financial District in Manhattan. The famous 7,000 pound bronze statue was created by Arturo Di Modica and installed near Wall Street to "bring bulls back to Wall Street" after the 1987 stock market crash. The bull sculpture is said to bring luck to traders and stockbrokers if they rub it on the testicles. The polished shiny testicles of the statue is the evidence of how many traders and tourists follow this tradition.
