| Charging Bull | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture in 2020 | |
| Artist | Arturo Di Modica |
| Year | 1989 (1989) |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Dimensions | 11 ft × 16 ft (340 cm × 490 cm)[1][2] |
| Weight | 7,100 pounds (3,200 kg) |
| Location | New York City, New York, US |
| Coordinates | 40°42′20″N74°00′48″W / 40.705576°N 74.013421°W /40.705576; -74.013421 |
| Website | https://arturodimodica.com/ |
Charging Bull (sometimes referred to as theBull of Wall Street or theBowling Green Bull) is abronze sculpture that stands onBroadway just north ofBowling Green in theFinancial District ofManhattan inNew York City. The 7,100-pound (3,200 kg) bronze sculpture, standing 11 feet (3.4 m) tall and measuring 16 feet (4.9 m) long, depicts abull, the symbol offinancial optimism and prosperity.Charging Bull is a popular tourist destination that draws thousands of people a day, symbolizingWall Street and the Financial District.
The sculpture was created by Italian artistArturo Di Modica in the wake of the1987 Black Monday stock market crash. Late in the evening of Thursday, December 14, 1989, Di Modica arrived on Wall Street withCharging Bull on the back of a truck and illegally dropped the sculpture outside of theNew York Stock Exchange Building. After being removed by theNew York City Police Department later that day,Charging Bull was installed at Bowling Green on December 20, 1989. Despite initially having only a temporary permit to be located at Bowling Green,Charging Bull became a popular tourist attraction. Di Modica may have been influenced by a pair of huge metallic sculptures, a charging bull and a bear, placed in front of the Frankfurt, Germany Stock Exchange in 1985 as part of the 400th celebration of the exchange.
Following the success of the original sculpture, Di Modica created a number of variations of theCharging Bull which have been sold to private collectors.Charging Bull has been a subject of criticism from ananti-capitalist perspective, such as in theOccupy Wall Street protests of 2011, and has also been compared to the biblicalgolden calf worshiped by theIsraelites shortly after theirExodus from Egypt.
The 7,100-pound (3,200 kg) sculpture[1] is in a cobblestone-pavedtraffic median of Broadway just north of Bowling Green.[3] The sculpture is adjacent to26 Broadway to the east and25 Broadway to the west.[4] It stands 11 feet (3.4 m) tall[1] and measures 16 feet (4.9 m) long.[2] It depicts abull, the symbol offinancial optimism and prosperity, leaning back on its haunches and with its head lowered as if ready to charge. The sculpture is both a popular tourist destination, which draws thousands of people a day, as well as a symbol ofWall Street and the Financial District, being described as "one of the most iconic images of New York"[5] and a "Wall Street icon."[6] Children also frequently climb the sculpture.[7]
InOutdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide, Dianne Durante describes the sculpture:
TheBull's head is lowered, its nostrils flare, and its wickedly long, sharp horns are ready to gore; it's an angry, dangerous beast. The muscular body twists to one side, and the tail is curved like a lash: theBull is also energetic and in motion.[3]
The bronze color and hard, metallic texture of the sculpture's surface emphasize the brute force of the creature. The work was designed and placed so that viewers could walk around it, which also suggests the creature's own movement is unrestricted — a point reinforced by the twisting posture of the bull's body, according to Durante.
Charging Bull, then, shows an aggressive or even belligerent force on the move, but unpredictably...[I]t's not far-fetched to say the theme is the energy, strength, and unpredictability of the stock market.[3]
Di Modica told theNew York Daily News in 1998:
That bull is one of an edition of five...I'm hoping the other four will be going to cities all over the world, whenever somebody buys them.[8]
The bull was cast by the Bedi-Makky Art Foundry inGreenpoint, Brooklyn. Di Modica spent $360,000 to create, cast, and install the sculpture following the1987 stock market crash.[2] The sculpture was Di Modica's idea. Having arrived penniless in the United States in 1970, Di Modica felt indebted to the nation for welcoming him and enabling his career as a successful sculptor.Charging Bull was intended to inspire each person who came into contact with it to carry on fighting through the hard times after the 1987 stock market crash.[9] Di Modica later recounted to art writerAnthony Haden-Guest, "My point was to show people that if you want to do something in a moment things are very bad, you can do it. You can do it by yourself. My point was that you must be strong."[9]
Another artist, Domenico Ranieri, enlarged the model of the bull and worked with Di Modica to bring out the fine points of the sculpture. In an act ofguerrilla art, Bedi-Makky Art Foundry and Di Modica trucked it toLower Manhattan. Late in the evening of December 14, 1989, they installed it beneath a 60-foot (18 m)Christmas tree in the middle ofBroad Street in front of theNew York Stock Exchange Building as a Christmas gift to New Yorkers. That day, hundreds of onlookers stopped to see it as Di Modica handed out copies of a flier about his artwork.[2]
NYSE officials called police later that day, and theNYPD seized the sculpture and placed it into animpound lot.[2] The ensuing public outcry led theNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation to reinstall it two blocks south of the Exchange, in Bowling Green, facing upBroadway just north ofWhitehall Street.Charging Bull was rededicated at its new location with a ceremony on December 21, 1989.[10]
The sculpture technically has a temporary permit allowing it to stand on city property since the city does not own the sculpture, but the temporary permission has lasted since 1989, when city officials said the new location would not be permanent.[10] Art on loan is usually limited to a year's display, and although the city does not buy art, it does accept donations. By 1993, Di Modica wanted to sell the statue to recover the $320,000 cost of manufacturing it. However, there was only one major bid for the statue: a hotel inLas Vegas that offered $300,000.[11]
A writer in theNew York Daily News wrote in 1998 that the statue's placement was "beginning to look a mite permanent."[8] According to an article inArt Monthly, Di Modica, as well as officials and New Yorkers, "view it as a permanent feature of Lower Manhattan."[12] In 2004, Di Modica announced thatCharging Bull was for sale, on condition the buyer did not move it from its location.[1][13] Joe Lewis, the British billionaire and ex-owner of Christies, purchased the sculpture.
Di Modica continued to own theartistic copyright to the statue,[1] and filed several lawsuits against firms making replicas. For instance, Di Modica suedWal-Mart and other companies in 2006 for selling replicas of the bull and using it in advertising campaigns.[14][15] Three years later, Di Modica suedRandom House for using a photo of the bull on the cover of a book discussing the collapse of financial services firmLehman Brothers.[16]
As soon as the sculpture was set up at Bowling Green, it became "an instant hit."[11] One of the city's most photographed artworks, it has become a tourist destination in the Financial District. "Its popularity is beyond doubt," an article inThe New York Times said of the artwork. "Visitors constantly pose for pictures around it."[1]Henry J. Stern, the city parks commissioner when the statue first appeared in the Financial District, said in 1993: "People are crazy about the bull. It captured their imagination."[11]Adrian Benepe, a later New York City parks commissioner, said in 2004, "It's become one of the most visited, most photographed and perhaps most loved and recognized statues in the city of New York. I would say it's right up there with theStatue of Liberty."[1] A 2003Bollywood film,Kal Ho Naa Ho, featuredCharging Bull in a musical number, one visitor told a reporter that the bull's appearance in the film was a reason for his visit to New York City.[5] Despite thefinancial crisis of 2007–2008,Charging Bull remained a popular tourist attraction.[17]
In addition to having their pictures taken at the front end of the bull, many tourists pose at the back of the bull, near the largetesticles "for snapshots under an unmistakable symbol of itsvirility."[17] According to a 2002 article inThe Washington Post, "People on The Street say you've got torub the nose, horns and testicles of the bull for good luck, tour guide Wayne McLeod would tell the group on the Baltimore bus, who would giddily oblige."[18] A 2004 article inThe New York Times said, "Passers-by have rubbed—to a bright gleam—its nose, horns and a part of its anatomy that, as Mr. Benepe put it gingerly, 'separates the bull from the steer.'"[1] A 2007 newspaper account agreed that a "peculiar ritual" of handling the "shining orbs" of the statue'sscrotum seems to have developed into a tradition.[5]
On March 7, 2017, a bronze sculpture byKristen Visbal,Fearless Girl, was installed facingCharging Bull.[19] It was commissioned to advertise for anindex fund that comprises gender-diverse companies that have a relatively high percentage of women among their senior leadership and installed in anticipation ofInternational Women's Day the following day. It depicts a girl four-foot (1.2 m) high, promoting female empowerment.[20] After Di Modica filed complaints aboutFearless Girl, it was removed in November 2018 and relocated to outside the New York Stock Exchange. A plaque with footprints was placed on the original site ofFearless Girl.[21]
In November 2019, city officials announced that they wished to moveCharging Bull to a plaza outside the New York Stock Exchange due to safety concerns at Bowling Green.[22][23] Officials stated that becauseCharging Bull is located on a traffic median with large crowds, it was vulnerable to terrorist attacks, citing examples such as the2017 truck attack on the nearbyWest Side Highway.[24] Local community group Downtown Alliance supported the relocation, but Di Modica opposed it.[25][26] TheNew York City Department of Transportation (DOT) had filed an application with theNew York City Public Design Commission (PDC) to relocateCharging Bull, but subsequently withdrew the application, which a city spokesperson said was due to uncertainty over the new location.[27][28] Residents ofManhattan Community District 1, which includes the Financial District, expressed opposition to the relocation in a meeting with city officials in May 2020. At the time, updated plans called forCharging Bull to be located at the corner ofBroad Street and Wall Street, north ofFearless Girl.[29] The PDC declined to endorse relocation in June 2020.[30][31]
On October 18, 2021,a statue ofHarambe, a gorilla, was placed facing the statue in a similar manner toFearless Girl and thousands of bananas were placed under the bull's feet. The act was carried out by organizers promoting Sapien.Network, an in-development social media network.[32]
In fall 2021, artistNelson Saiers placed a series of sculptures next to theBull to comment on theFederal Reserve's monetary policy and inflation. The first, "Cheap Money is Out of Order," featured a gumball machine filled with $10 bills offered for 25 cents with an "Out of Order!" sign taped to its face.[33][34][35]
In 2010, a similarCharging Bull sculpture by Di Modica was installed inShanghai on commission by the Shanghai city authority; it is informally called theBund Bull.[36] Two years later, Di Modica unofficially installed anotherCharging Bull sculpture outside theAmsterdam Stock Exchange onBeursplein,Amsterdam.[37]
In 2019, Professional Bull Riders authorized Di Modica to craft a scaled replica ofCharging Bull as the trophy for the champion of their annualMonster Energy PBR Unleash the Beastbull riding major event, theMonster Energy Buck Off atthe Garden major. It was first presented during the 2020 event toJoão Ricardo Vieira.[38]
Di Modica worked the majority of his career alone, from hisSoHo studio without representation. By the 1990s, Di Modica's artwork had achieved global icon status, but he continued to work outside of the formal art market. By 2000 he had built up a roster of wealthy private collectors. He ate in Cipriani Downtown most days whilst in New York where he met new clients and entertained his existing ones.[39]
Di Modica put the original 16ftCharging Bull on the market in 2004 with an asking price of $5m.[40] Joe Lewis, the British billionaire and ex-owner of Christies, later purchased the sculpture on the condition that he never move it from Bowling Green. Lewis also purchased the rest of the 16ft edition which he installed on his various golf courses.[41] In 2012, Di Modica met the London-based art dealer, Jacob Harmer, and shortly afterwards entered into his first formal representation agreement with Harmer's dealership, Geist[42], based onMount Street,Mayfair. From 2013, Harmer began documenting the life of the artist, commissioning new sculptures, buying back historical works and building a global market.[43]
In October 2018, the first major work by Modica came to auction, a 6ft polished bronze version ofCharging Bull atPhillips London which was the first in an edition of eight and marked "1987–89". The sculpture sold for £309,000 ($405,000).[44] In March 2019, a stainless steel version ofCharging Bull came to auction atSotheby's New York and despite being in poor condition, sold for $275,000. InArturo Di Modica: The Last Modern Master, his representative confirms selling 4ft sculptures for up to $496,000.[45]
Charging Bull has often been a subject of criticism from ananti-capitalist perspective. TheOccupy Wall Street protests used the bull as a symbolic figure around which to direct their critiques of corporate greed. A 2011 image fromAdbusters portraying a dancer posed in anattitude position atop the sculpture was used to promote the forthcoming protests.[46] The first gathering of Occupy took place around the sculpture on September 17, 2011, before moving toZuccotti Park.[47] Because of the protests, the bull was surrounded by barricades and guarded by police[48] until 2014.[49][50]
Charging Bull has been likened to thegolden calf worshiped by theIsraelites during theirExodus fromEgypt. During Occupy Wall Street on multiple occasions an interfaith group of religious leaders led a procession of a golden calf figure that was modeled on the bull.[51][52] A largepapier-mâchépiñata made by Sebastian Errazuriz for a 2014 New York design festival was intended to be reminiscent of both the golden calf andCharging Bull.[53] Further comparisons to the golden calf have been made by Jewish and Christian religious commentators.[54]
As a prominent symbol of Wall Street andcapitalism generally,Charging Bull has been the frequent target of vandalism, particularly as an act ofcivil disobedience. Shortly after thecollapse of Lehman Brothers during the2008 financial crisis, the bull's scrotum was paintedblue.[55] Leading up to a protest on May 12, 2011, the bull was tagged in at least two locations, once again including the scrotum, with theAnarchist"circle-A" iconography, prompting theNew York City Police Department to temporarily install barricades around the sculpture.[56] The barriers returned that fall during theOccupy Wall Street protests, and remained in place until March 25, 2014,[57] despite a unanimous resolution from thelocal community board saying they constituted a hazard to pedestrians.[58]
On September 14, 2017, three months after U.S. presidentDonald Trump formally announcedthe United States' withdrawal from theParis Agreement on climate change, an artist attempting to highlight U.S. popular support for the accord doused the head of the sculpture in a blue pigment.[59][60]
In 2019,Charging Bull was vandalized twice. On September 7, a man fromDallas struck the sculpture with abanjo, leaving a sizable dent in the horn.[61][62]Professional Bull Riders donated money from its ticket sales to pay for fixes to the horn,[63] and Di Modica personally came to the site the following month to repair his creation.[64] Then, on October 7, activists fromExtinction Rebellion hurled fake blood over the sculpture and staged adie-in on the surrounding traffic plaza.[65][66] In June 2020,Charging Bull was covered in a tarp and monitored by police to protect it from vandalism attempts during theGeorge Floyd protests in New York City.[67]
The history of the sculpture and its sculptor was presented in the 2014 Italian documentary filmIl Toro di Wall Street, released internationally asThe Charging Bull.[68] InMr. Robot, Darlene Alderson (Carly Chaikin) is shown castrating the statue.[69][70]
Charging Bull has featured in several films set inManhattan, includingThe Big Short,The Wolf of Wall Street, andHitch. The statue appears inthe 2011 remake ofArthur in whichRussell Brand andLuis Guzman respectively as Arthur and his butler crash into it with aBatmobile while dressed asBatman andRobin handing the bovine a giant severance package.[71] InThe Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010), the sculpture comes alive and chasesNicolas Cage's character down Broadway. The sculpture can be seen floating through space at the end ofDon't Look Up (2021) after presumably being blown into orbit by the comet's impact.
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