Did you know that this massive Wall Street icon started as an illegal piece of street art?! It was installed without permission by the sculptor and his friends on Broad Street right in front of the New York Stock Exchange in the wee hours of December 15, 1989. It was the artist’s Christmas gift to NYC, a symbol of strength, optimism, power, and hope – the antidote to the massive Wall Street crash of 1987. As a response, NYSE promptly and swiftly … removed the statue and transported it to an impound lot before the day was over. However, the public outcry over the highly publicized event forced NYC to reconsider the acceptance of this particular present and with the help of the then Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, Mayor Ed Koch and Arturo Piccolo of the Bowling Green Association, a permanent home was found for the Charging Bull close by at Bowling Green.
Here’s what you ought know:
Artist: Arturo Di Modica, an Italian-American artist, born in Sicily
Date Installed: Friday, December 15, 1989
Cost: $360,000 of the artist’s own money
Height: 11 ft (3.4 m)
Weight: 7100 lbs (3200 kg)
Material: Bronze
Other Names: Wall Street Bull; Bowling Green Bull
OTHER FACTS:
In 2004, Di Modica announced that the bull sculpture was for sale, on condition the buyer does not move it from its present location.
It is the second most photographed and recognized statue in the city of New York (right after the Statue of Liberty)
Rubbing the nose, horns and testicles of the Bull for good luck is a must for many tourist visiting NYC.
Di Modica installed a second similar version of the Charging Bull in Shanghai in May 2010 which draws from Western and Chinese culture and also looks much younger and stronger.
A third version of the bull was placed in Amsterdam, July 4, 2012. Di Modica: “It would be good for everybody in Europe to have some kind of kick from the mascot. Europe is in an economic crisis. Think positive! Together we will go up!”
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