View source for Charging Bull

{{Short description|Bronze sculpture in Manhattan, New York}}
{{italic title}}
{{For|the Charging Bull insignia|11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{use American English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Charging Bull
| painting_alignment = 
| other_language_1 = 
| other_title_1 = 
| other_language_2 = 
| other_title_2 =
| image = Charging Bull statue.jpg
| image_upright = 1.25
| alt = 
| caption = The sculpture in 2020
| artist = [[Arturo Di Modica]]
| year = {{start date|1989}}
| completion_date = <!-- For a more specific date (post-1583): {{start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| catalogue = 
| medium = Bronze
| movement = 
| subject = 
| dimensions = 11 ft × 16 ft (340 cm × 490 cm)
| dimensions_ref = <ref name="nyt20041221" /><ref name="nyt19891216" />
| weight = {{convert|7100|lb|kg}}
| designation = 
| condition = 
| museum = 
| city = [[New York City]], New York, US
| coordinates = {{coord|40.705576|-74.013421|type:landmark_region:US-NJ|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe = no
| mapframe-zoom = 
| owner = 
| accession = 
| preceded_by = <!-- preceding work by the same artist -->
| followed_by = <!-- next work by the same artist -->
| module = 
| website = https://arturodimodica.com/
| pushpin_map = 
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}}
'''''Charging Bull''''' (sometimes referred to as the '''''Bull of Wall Street''''' or the '''''Bowling Green Bull''''') is a [[bronze sculpture]] that stands on [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] just north of [[Bowling Green (New York City)|Bowling Green]] in the [[Financial District, Manhattan|Financial District]] of [[Manhattan]] in [[New York City]]. The {{convert|7100|lb|kg|adj=on|abbr=}} bronze sculpture, standing {{convert|11|ft|m}} tall and measuring {{convert|16|ft|m}} long, depicts a [[bull]], the symbol of [[bull market|financial optimism and prosperity]]. ''Charging Bull'' is a popular tourist destination that draws thousands of people a day, symbolizing [[Wall Street]] and the Financial District.

The sculpture was created by Italian artist [[Arturo Di Modica]] in the wake of the [[Black Monday (1987)|1987 Black Monday]] stock market crash. Late in the evening of Thursday, December 14, 1989, Di Modica arrived on Wall Street with ''Charging Bull'' on the back of a truck and illegally dropped the sculpture outside of the [[New York Stock Exchange Building]]. After being removed by the [[New 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.{{Clarify|date=August 2025|reason=How often are these celebrations?  Is there a word missing? }}

Following the success of the original sculpture, Di Modica created a number of variations of the ''Charging Bull'' which have been sold to private collectors. ''Charging Bull'' has been a subject of criticism from an [[Criticism of capitalism|anti-capitalist]] perspective, such as in the [[Occupy Wall Street]] protests of 2011, and has also been compared to the biblical [[golden calf]] worshiped by the [[Israelites]] shortly after their [[The Exodus|exodus]] from Egypt.

==Description==
[[File:Bowling Green NYC Feb 2020 13.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Charging Bull'' is at the northern tip of Bowling Green.]]

The {{convert|7100|lb|kg|adj=on}} sculpture<ref name="nyt20041221"/> is in a cobblestone-paved [[traffic median]] of Broadway just north of Bowling Green.<ref name="Durante 2007"/> The sculpture is adjacent to [[26 Broadway]] to the east and [[Cunard Building (New York City)|25 Broadway]] to the west.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://new.mta.info/document/2461 |title=MTA Neighborhood Maps: Bowling Green (4)(5) |date=2018 |website=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|mta.info]] |publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] |access-date=September 13, 2018}}</ref> It stands {{convert|11|ft|m}} tall<ref name="nyt20041221">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/21/nyregion/the-bronze-bull-is-for-sale-but-there-are-a-few-conditions.html |title=The Bronze Bull Is for Sale, but There Are a Few Conditions |last=Dunlap |first=David W. |date=December 21, 2004 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 13, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and measures {{convert|16|ft|m}} long.<ref name="nyt19891216">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/16/nyregion/soho-gift-to-wall-st-a-3-1-2-ton-bronze-bull.html |title=SoHo Gift to Wall St.: A 3 1/2-Ton Bronze Bull |last=Mcfadden |first=Robert D. |date=December 16, 1989 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 13, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> It depicts a [[bull]], the symbol of [[bull market|financial 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 of [[Wall Street]] and the Financial District, being described as "one of the most iconic images of New York"<ref name="Pinto 2008">{{Cite web |first=Nick |last=Pinto |title='Charging Bull,' from Front to Back |website=Tribeca Trib |date=September 8, 2008 |url=http://tribecatrib.com/archives/newssept07/Bull.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908014825/http://tribecatrib.com/archives/newssept07/Bull.htm |archive-date=September 8, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref> and a "Wall Street icon."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenfield |first1=Beth |first2=Robert |last2=Reid |first3=Ginger |last3=Adams Otis |title=New York City |publisher=Lonely Planet |publication-place=Footscray, Vic. London |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-74059-798-2 |oclc=70400334 |page=120}}</ref> Children also frequently climb the sculpture.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sommers |first=Carl |date=May 26, 1991 |title=Q and A |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/26/travel/q-and-a-325191.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In ''Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide'', Dianne Durante describes the sculpture:
<blockquote>The ''Bull''{{'}}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: the ''Bull'' is also energetic and in motion.<ref name="Durante 2007">{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1nMnB-2HgbwC&pg=PA259 |title=Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide |chapter=5: Charging Bull |last=Durante |first=Dianne L. |date=February 1, 2007 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=9780814719862}}</ref></blockquote>

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.

<blockquote>''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.<ref name="Durante 2007"/></blockquote>

Di Modica told the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' in 1998:
<blockquote>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.<ref name="nydn19980531">{{Cite web |last=Singleton |first=Don |title=Rock Solid |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/rock-solid-article-1.789714 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=New York Daily News |date=May 31, 1998}}</ref></blockquote>

==History==
===Construction and installation===
[[File:DiModica working on Crosby St basement.png|left|thumb|Arturo Di Modica in 54 Crosby St studio where ''Charging Bull'' was conceived]]
The bull was cast by the Bedi-Makky Art Foundry in [[Greenpoint, Brooklyn]]. Di Modica spent $360,000 to create, cast, and install the sculpture following the [[Black Monday (1987)|1987 stock market crash]].<ref name="nyt19891216"/> 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.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |first=Anthony |last=Haden-Guest |date=October 4, 2018 |title=Arturo di Modica: Charging Bull |url=https://www.phillips.com/article/37187333/arturo-di-modica-charging-bull |access-date=October 31, 2020 |website=Phillips}}</ref> Di Modica later recounted to art writer [[Anthony 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."<ref name="auto"/>

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 of [[guerrilla art]], Bedi-Makky Art Foundry and Di Modica trucked it to [[Lower Manhattan]]. Late in the evening of December 14, 1989, they installed it beneath a {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Christmas tree]] in the middle of [[Broad Street (Manhattan)|Broad Street]] in front of the [[New 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.<ref name="nyt19891216"/>

NYSE officials called police later that day, and the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]] seized the sculpture and placed it into an [[Vehicle impoundment|impound lot]].<ref name="nyt19891216"/> The ensuing public outcry led the [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]] to reinstall it two blocks south of the Exchange, in Bowling Green, facing up [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] just north of [[Whitehall Street]]. ''Charging Bull'' was rededicated at its new location with a ceremony on December 21, 1989.<ref name="nyt19891220">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/20/nyregion/wall-st-s-bronze-bull-moves-2-blocks-south.html |title=Wall St.'s Bronze Bull Moves 2 Blocks South |agency=The Associated Press |date=December 20, 1989 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 13, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Ownership===
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.<ref name="nyt19891220"/> 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 in [[Las Vegas]] that offered $300,000.<ref name="nyt19931003">{{Cite news |last=Lambert |first=Bruce |date=October 3, 1993 |title=Neighborhood Report: Lower Manhattan, A Campaign To Save a Bull |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/03/nyregion/neighborhood-report-lower-manhattan-a-campaign-to-save-a-bull.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

A writer in the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' wrote in 1998 that the statue's placement was "beginning to look a mite permanent."<ref name="nydn19980531"/> According to an article in ''[[Art Monthly]]'', Di Modica, as well as officials and New Yorkers, "view it as a permanent feature of Lower Manhattan."<ref>{{cite news |last=Lydiate |first=Henry |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31229552_ITM |title=Public sculpture |date=November 1, 2006 |work=Art Monthly |via=Access My Library |access-date=June 13, 2009}}</ref> In 2004, Di Modica announced that ''Charging Bull'' was for sale, on condition the buyer did not move it from its location.<ref name="nyt20041221"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Milton |first=Pat |date=December 21, 2004 |title=Wall Street bull sculpture for sale |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/wall-street-bull-sculpture-for-sale/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Joe Lewis, the British billionaire and ex-owner of Christies, purchased the sculpture.

Di Modica continued to own the [[copyright|artistic copyright]] to the statue,<ref name="nyt20041221"/> and filed several lawsuits against firms making replicas. For instance, Di Modica sued [[Wal-Mart]] and other companies in 2006 for selling replicas of the bull and using it in advertising campaigns.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060921-1411-chargingbulllawsuit.html |title=Sculptor of Manhattan 'Charging Bull' statue sues Wal-Mart, others to protect its image |date=September 21, 2006 |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901235518/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060921-1411-chargingbulllawsuit.html |archive-date=September 1, 2009 |access-date=July 20, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Randy |date=September 23, 2006 |title=Arts, Briefly; Sculptor Files Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/arts/arts-briefly-sculptor-files-lawsuit-against-walmart.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Three years later, Di Modica sued [[Random House]] for using a photo of the bull on the cover of a book discussing the collapse of financial services firm [[Lehman Brothers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-sep-22-fi-wrap22.1-story.html |title=Suit Alleges Illegal Use of 'Charging Bull' Image |date=September 22, 2006 |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=From Dow Jones/the Associated Press |access-date=February 24, 2022}}</ref>

===Evolution into tourist attraction===
As soon as the sculpture was set up at Bowling Green, it became "an instant hit."<ref name="nyt19931003"/> 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 in ''[[The New York Times]]'' said of the artwork. "Visitors constantly pose for pictures around it."<ref name="nyt20041221"/> [[Henry Stern (New York politician)|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."<ref name="nyt19931003"/> [[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 the [[Statue of Liberty]]."<ref name="nyt20041221"/> A 2003 [[Bollywood]] film, ''[[Kal Ho Naa Ho]]'', featured ''Charging 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.<ref name="Pinto 2008"/> Despite the [[2008 financial crisis]], ''Charging Bull'' remained a popular tourist attraction.<ref name="nyt20080916">{{Cite news |last=Dunlap |first=David W. |date=September 16, 2008 |title=Downtown's Bull, No Longer Emblematic but Still Popular |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/nyregion/17bull.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

[[File:Testicles of the Charging Bull statue in New York City.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|The ''Charging Bull''{{'}}s scrotum is noticeably lighter in color due to frequent rubbing.]]

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 large [[testicle]]s "for snapshots under an unmistakable symbol of its [[virility]]."<ref name="nyt20080916"/> According to a 2002 article in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', "People on The Street say you've got to [[statue rubbing|rub]] 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."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Duke |first1=Lynn |title=The Pilgrimage To Ground Zero — Officials and Tourists Walk A Fine Line on Solemn Ground |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/409259199 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 27, 2002 |location=Edition F, page C1 |id={{ProQuest|409259199}} }}</ref> A 2004 article in ''The 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.'"<ref name="nyt20041221"/> A 2007 newspaper account agreed that a "peculiar ritual" of handling the "shining orbs" of the statue's [[scrotum]] seems to have developed into a tradition.<ref name="Pinto 2008"/>

On March 7, 2017, a bronze sculpture by [[Kristen Visbal]], ''[[Fearless Girl]],'' was installed facing ''Charging Bull.''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/03/07/news/girl-statue-wall-street-bull/ |title=Why a defiant girl is staring down the Wall Street bull |date=March 7, 2017 |publisher=[[CNNMoney]] |last1=Wiener-Bronner |first1=Danielle |access-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> It was commissioned to advertise for an [[index fund]] that comprises gender-diverse companies that have a relatively high percentage of women among their senior leadership and installed in anticipation of [[International Women's Day]] the following day. It depicts a girl {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on|spell=in}} high, promoting female empowerment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bekiempis |first=Victoria |date=November 28, 2018 |title=New York: Fearless Girl who faced down Wall Street's bull moved to new spot |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/28/new-york-fearless-girl-charging-bull-wall-street |access-date=October 31, 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> After Di Modica filed complaints about ''Fearless 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 of ''Fearless Girl''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moyer |first=Liz |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/28/fearless-girl-on-the-move-but-leaves-footprints-for-visitors.html |title='Fearless Girl' on the move, but leaves footprints for visitors to stand in her place |work=[[CNBC]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref>

In November 2019, city officials announced that they wished to move ''Charging Bull'' to a plaza outside the New York Stock Exchange due to safety concerns at Bowling Green.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 7, 2019 |title=NYC Plans to Move Charging Bull Statue |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-plans-to-move-charging-bull-statue_new-york/2111440/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=NBC New York}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Stevens |first=Pippa |date=November 7, 2019 |title=Wall Street's 'Charging Bull' sculpture is moving |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/07/wall-streets-charging-bull-sculpture-is-moving.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=CNBC}}</ref> Officials stated that because ''Charging Bull'' is located on a traffic median with large crowds, it was vulnerable to terrorist attacks, citing examples such as the [[2017 New York City truck attack|2017 truck attack]] on the nearby [[West Side Highway]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Blint-Welsh |first1=Tyler |last2=Chapman |first2=Ben |date=November 7, 2019 |title=New York's 'Charging Bull' Statue Will Soon Move From Longtime Corral |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-yorks-charging-bull-statue-may-be-moved-from-longtime-corral-11573159336 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Local community group Downtown Alliance supported the relocation, but Di Modica opposed it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paybarah |first=Azi |date=November 11, 2019 |title=Should the Charging Bull Statue Be Moved? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/nyregion/charging-bull-statue-lower-manhattan.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Boucher |first=Brian |date=November 19, 2019 |title=The Artist Behind Wall Street's 'Charging Bull' Is Seeing Red Over a Plan to Remove the Sculpture From the Financial Hub |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/wall-street-bull-relocation-1708023 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=artnet News}}</ref> The [[New York City Department of Transportation]] (DOT) had filed an application with the [[New York City Public Design Commission]] (PDC) to relocate ''Charging Bull'', but subsequently withdrew the application, which a city spokesperson said was due to uncertainty over the new location.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Elizabeth |date=November 13, 2019 |title=City Delays Moving Charging Bull |url=http://gothamist.com/news/charging-bull-may-stay-put-after-all |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=Gothamist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115034250/https://gothamist.com/news/charging-bull-may-stay-put-after-all |archive-date=November 15, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Marsh |first=Julia |date=November 13, 2019 |title=De Blasio reins in plans to move NYC's Charging Bull statue |url=https://nypost.com/2019/11/13/de-blasio-backs-down-charging-bull-statue-to-stay-put-for-now/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=New York Post}}</ref> Residents of [[Manhattan Community Board 1|Manhattan 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 for ''Charging Bull'' to be located at the corner of [[Broad Street (Manhattan)|Broad Street]] and Wall Street, north of ''Fearless Girl''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Small |first=Zachary |date=May 22, 2020 |title=New York's Iconic 'Charging Bull' Sculpture Becomes Subject of Fierce Debate Among Politicians |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/new-yorks-charging-bull-move-controversy-1202688237/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=ARTnews.com}}</ref> The PDC declined to endorse relocation in June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marsh |first=Julia |date=June 22, 2020 |title=NYC panel tells Mayor de Blasio he can't move Wall Street's 'Charging Bull' |url=https://nypost.com/2020/06/22/nyc-panel-tells-de-blasio-he-cant-move-wall-streets-charging-bull/ |access-date=June 30, 2020 |website=New York Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=June 23, 2020 |title=Charging Bull, Symbol of Wall Street's Roaring Market, Will Remain in Place After a Vote Nixes Mayor de Blasio's Plan to Move It |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/mayor-cant-move-charging-bull-design-commission-says-1889235 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |website=artnet News}}</ref>

On October 18, 2021, [[Harambe (statue)|a statue]] of [[Harambe]], a gorilla, was placed facing the statue in a similar manner to ''Fearless 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.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/7-foot-tall-harambe-statue-stares-down-wall-streets-charging-bull-which-is-now-covered-in-bananas/3330853/ |title=7-Foot Harambe Statue Stares Down Wall Street's Charging Bull, Which Is Now Covered in Bananas |date=October 10, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |author=Gabriella Lozano |work=NBC New York}}</ref>

In fall 2021, artist [[Nelson Saiers]] placed a series of sculptures next to the ''Bull'' to comment on the [[Federal Reserve|Federal 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tavares |first1=Joanna |date=March 26, 2023 |title=Public art installations around NYC |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/photos/ny-public-art-installations-new-york-city-20230326-ypaxsxsnk5dttlbcbvfh6vn32i-photogallery.html |website=New York Daily News |access-date=March 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dillian |first1=Jared |date=August 25, 2022 |title=Free Trading Isn't Free, But We're Still Better Off |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/free-trading-isnt-free-but-were-still-better-off/2022/08/25/e9c05852-2465-11ed-a72f-1e7149072fbc_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rivers |first1=Martin Leo |date=December 9, 2021 |title='Bitcoin Rat' Artist Nelson Saiers Calls Bull On Fed's Inflation Policy |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2021/12/09/bitcoin-rat-artist-nelson-saiers-calls-bull-on-feds-reckless-disregard-for-inflation/?sh=6d115e12a879 |website=Forbes |access-date=December 9, 2021}}</ref>

==Replicas==
In 2010, a similar [[Shanghai's Bull|''Charging Bull'']] sculpture by Di Modica was installed in [[Shanghai]] on commission by the Shanghai city authority; it is informally called the ''[[The Bund|Bund]] Bull''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Areddy |first1=James T. |date=April 20, 2010 |title=Shanghai Gets a Bull for Its Own Shop |publisher=wsj.com |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703757504575193640923568542 |access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref> Two years later, Di Modica unofficially installed another ''Charging Bull'' sculpture outside the [[Amsterdam Stock Exchange]] on [[Beurs van Berlage|Beursplein]], [[Amsterdam]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nufoto.nl/fotos/293526/charging-bull-op-beursplein-in-amsterdam.html |title=Bronzen stier op Beursplein |language=nl |trans-title=Bronze Bull on stock exchange square |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102021535/http://www.nufoto.nl/fotos/293526/charging-bull-op-beursplein-in-amsterdam.html |archive-date=November 2, 2014 |date=July 5, 2012 |work=Nu NL news |access-date=June 13, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2019, Professional Bull Riders authorized Di Modica to craft a scaled replica of ''Charging Bull'' as the trophy for the champion of their annual [[Unleash the Beast Series|Monster Energy PBR Unleash the Beast]] [[bull riding]] major event, the ''[[Monster Energy]] Buck Off at [[Madison Square Garden|the Garden]]'' major.  It was first presented during the 2020 event to [[João Ricardo Vieira]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Giangola |first1=Andrew |title=Charging Bull artist creates new trophy for PBR in New York |url=https://pbr.com/news/2019/12/charging-bull-artist-creates-new-trophy-for-pbr-in-new-york/ |access-date=January 3, 2020 |website=Professional Bull Riders |date=December 31, 2019 |publisher=Endeavor}}</ref>

===Art market===
[[File:Arturo Di Modica and his representative Jacob Harmer.png|thumb|Arturo Di Modica and his representative Jacob Harmer in Sicily, Italy, in 2017]]
Di Modica worked the majority of his career alone, from his [[SoHo, Manhattan|SoHo]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=February 22, 2021 |title=Italian Sculptor Arturo Di Modica, Whose Charging Bull Sculpture Became a Symbol of an Unbridled Wall Street, Has Died at 80 |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/arturo-di-modica-obituary-1945660 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Di Modica put the original 16&nbsp;ft ''Charging Bull'' on the market in 2004 with an asking price of $5m.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Martinez |first=Jose |date=December 21, 2004 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/128889988/daily-news-a-5-bull-market/ |title=A $5M Bull Market |work=New York Daily News |access-date=July 26, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> 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 16&nbsp;ft edition which he installed on his various golf courses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Risen |first=Clay |date=February 21, 2021 |title=Arturo Di Modica, Sculptor of the 'Charging Bull', Dies at 80 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/21/us/arturo-di-modica-dead.html |access-date=February 25, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Geist |url=https://geistmc.com/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Geist |language=en}}</ref> based on [[Mount Street, London|Mount Street]], [[Mayfair]]. From 2013, Harmer began documenting the life of the artist, commissioning new sculptures, buying back historical works and building a global market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chernick |first=Ilanit |date=December 9, 2019 |title=Bowling Green's mystery missing menorah found 22 years later |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/bowling-greens-mystery-missing-menorah-found-22-years-later-610279 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US}}</ref>

In October 2018, the first major work by Modica came to auction, a 6&nbsp;ft polished bronze version of ''Charging Bull'' at [[Phillips (auctioneers)|Phillips]] London which was the first in an edition of eight and marked "1987–89". The sculpture sold for £309,000 ($405,000).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Phillips {{!}} Arturo di Modica – Charging Bull {{!}} 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale London Thursday, October 4, 2018 Lot 291 |url=https://www.phillips.com/detail/arturo-di-modica/UK010718/291 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=Phillips |language=en}}</ref> In March 2019, a stainless steel version of ''Charging Bull'' came to auction at [[Sotheby's]] New York and despite being in poor condition, sold for $275,000. In ''Arturo Di Modica: The Last Modern Master'', his representative confirms selling 4&nbsp;ft sculptures for up to $496,000.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Arturo Di Modica: The Last Modern Master |publisher=Bruton Publishing Ltd}}</ref>

==Criticism==
[[File:Wall-Street-1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|A poster showing a ballerina on the ''Charging Bull'' to promote the [[Occupy Wall Street]] movement]]
''Charging Bull'' has often been a subject of criticism from an [[Criticism of capitalism|anti-capitalist]] perspective. The [[Occupy Wall Street]] protests used the statue as a symbolic figure around which to direct their critiques of corporate greed. A 2011 image from ''[[Adbusters]]'' portraying a dancer posed in an [[Glossary of ballet|attitude position]] atop the sculpture was used to promote the forthcoming protests.<ref>{{cite magazine |journal=[[The Link (newspaper)|The Link]] |title=The Ballerina and the Bull: Adbusters' Micah White on 'The Last Great Social Movement' |first=Laura |last=Beeston |date=October 11, 2011 |url=http://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/1951 |access-date=October 12, 2011}}</ref> The first gathering of Occupy took place around the sculpture on September 17, 2011, before moving to [[Zuccotti Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://money.cnn.com/2011/09/17/technology/occupy_wall_street/index.htm |title=Hundreds of protesters descend to 'Occupy Wall Street' |last=Pepitone |first=Julianne |website=CNNMoney |access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref> Because of the protests, the bull was surrounded by barricades and guarded by police<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Harshbarger |first1=Rebecca |last2=Rosario |first2=Frank |date=December 27, 2011 |title=Outrage over caged Wall Street bull |url=https://nypost.com/2011/12/27/outrage-over-caged-wall-street-bull/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=New York Post |language=en}}</ref> until 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=DeGregory |first1=Priscilla |last2=Harshbarger |first2=Rebecca |date=March 25, 2014 |title=Free market: Barricades around Wall Street Bull go down |url=https://nypost.com/2014/03/25/free-market-barricades-around-wall-street-bull-go-down/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=New York Post |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Badia |first1=Erik |last2=McShane |first2=Larry |title=Freedom! Barricade around Wall Street 'Charging Bull' comes down |website=New York Daily News |date=March 26, 2014 |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/barricade-wall-street-bull-article-1.1735263 |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>

''Charging Bull'' has been likened to the [[golden calf]] worshiped by the [[Israelites]] during their [[The Exodus|Exodus]] from [[Egypt]]. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-schaper/occupy-wall-street-the-go_b_1004946.html |title=Occupy Wall Street, The Golden Calf And The New Idolatry |last=Schaper |first=Donna |date=October 11, 2011 |website=Huffington Post |language=en-US |access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Z9EAgAAQBAJ |title=Religion, Theology, and Class: Fresh Engagements after Long Silence |last=Rieger |first=J |publisher=Springer |year=2013 |isbn=978-1137339249 |pages=114}}</ref> A large [[papier-mâché]] [[piñata]] made by Sebastian Errazuriz for a 2014 New York design festival was intended to be reminiscent of both the golden calf and ''Charging Bull''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/anti-capitalist-golden-cow-pinata-sculpture-rains-cash-in-brooklyn-27270 |title=Anti-Capitalist Golden Cow Piñata Sculpture Rains Cash in Brooklyn |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=May 27, 2014 |work=Artnet |access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref> Further comparisons to the golden calf have been made by Jewish and Christian religious commentators.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Badcock |first1=Gary D. |title=God and the Financial Crisis: Essays on Faith, Economics, and Politics in the Wake of the Great Recession |date=2016 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=9781443888370 |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_CD5DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA11 |access-date=April 12, 2017}}<br>{{cite book |last1=Myers |first1=Robin |title=The Underground Church: Reclaiming the subversive way of Jesus. |date=2012 |publisher=SPCK |location=New York |isbn=9780281069422 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=clapAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT114 |access-date=April 12, 2017}}<br>{{cite book |last1=Susen |first1=Simon |last2=Turner |first2=Bryan S. |title=The Spirit of Luc Boltanski: Essays on the 'Pragmatic Sociology of Critique' |date=2014 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1783082971 |page=460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Po1DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA460 |access-date=April 12, 2017}}<br>{{cite book |last1=Gushee |first1=David P. |last2=Stassen |first2=Glen H. |title=Kingdom Ethics, 2nd ed.: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context |date=2016 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |isbn=9780802874214 |page=373 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yj8BDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA373 |access-date=April 12, 2017}}<br>{{Cite news |url=http://forward.com/opinion/367700/why-im-not-bullish-on-fearless-girl/ |title=Why I'm Not Bullish On 'Fearless Girl' |work=The Forward |access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref>

==Vandalism==
As a prominent symbol of Wall Street and [[capitalism]] generally, ''Charging Bull'' has been the frequent target of vandalism, particularly as an act of [[civil disobedience]]. Shortly after the [[bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers]] during the [[2008 financial crisis]], the bull's scrotum was painted as [[Blue balls]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Chung |first=Jen |date=October 8, 2008 |title=Wall Street Really Needs Relief |url=https://gothamist.com/miscellaneous/wall-street-ireallyi-needs-relief |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614043256/https://gothamist.com/miscellaneous/wall-street-ireallyi-needs-relief |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Gothamist}}</ref> Leading up to a protest on May 12, 2011, the bull was tagged in at least two locations, once again including the scrotum, with the [[Anarchism|Anarchist]] [[Anarchist symbolism#Circle-A|"circle-A"]] iconography, prompting the [[New York City Police Department]] to temporarily install barricades around the sculpture.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chung |first=Jen |date=May 12, 2011 |title=Wall Street Bull's Balls Painted With Anarchy Symbols |url=https://gothamist.com/news/update-wall-street-bulls-balls-painted-with-anarchy-symbols |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Gothamist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614043253/https://gothamist.com/news/update-wall-street-bulls-balls-painted-with-anarchy-symbols |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The barriers returned that fall during the [[Occupy Wall Street]] protests, and remained in place until March 25, 2014,<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeGregory |first1=Priscilla |last2=Harshbarger |first2=Vanessa |date=March 25, 2014 |title=Free market: Barricades around Wall Street Bull go down |url=https://nypost.com/2014/03/25/free-market-barricades-around-wall-street-bull-go-down/ |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=New York Post}}</ref> despite a unanimous resolution from the [[Manhattan Community Board 1|local community board]] saying they constituted a hazard to pedestrians.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dabellis |first=Dakota |date=July 2, 2012 |title=Barriers at Wall Street area's 'Charging Bull' are dangerous: community board |url=https://nypost.com/2012/07/02/barriers-at-wall-street-areas-charging-bull-are-dangerous-community-board/ |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=New York Post}}</ref>

[[File:Charging Bull Covered.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Charging Bull covered in a blue tarp and surrounded by barricades to protect it from vandalism. This photo was taken in June 2020, during the George Floyd protests in New York City.|''Charging Bull'' covered in a blue tarp and surrounded by barricades in June 2020 during the [[George Floyd protests in New York City]]]]

On September 14, 2017, three months after U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] formally announced [[United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement|the United States' withdrawal]] from the [[Paris Agreement|Paris 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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Whitford |first=Emma |date=September 14, 2014 |title=Wall Street Bull Splashed With Blue Paint To Protest Climate Change Denial |url=https://gothamist.com/news/wall-street-bull-splashed-with-blue-paint-to-protest-climate-change-denial |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Gothamist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614043251/https://gothamist.com/news/wall-street-bull-splashed-with-blue-paint-to-protest-climate-change-denial |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wattles |first=Jackie |date=September 16, 2014 |title=Woman arrested for vandalizing Wall Street's famed bull statue |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/09/16/news/charging-bull-statue-vandalism/index.html |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=CNN Money}}</ref>

In 2019, ''Charging Bull'' was vandalized twice. On September 7, a man from [[Dallas]] struck the sculpture with a [[banjo]], leaving a sizable dent in the horn.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 8, 2019 |title=Man vandalizes iconic Wall Street Charging Bull landmark with a banjo, police say |url=https://abc7ny.com/5522765/ |access-date=January 31, 2020 |website=ABC7 New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Syckle |first1=Katie Van |last2=Southall |first2=Ashley |date=September 8, 2019 |title=Attack Leaves Wall Street's Iconic Bull With a Gash on Its Horn |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/nyregion/wall-street-bull-vandalism.html |access-date=June 14, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Professional Bull Riders]] donated money from its ticket sales to pay for fixes to the horn,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fitz-Gibbon |first=Jorge |date=September 11, 2019 |title=Bull-riding group wants to help pay for 'Charging Bull' statue's repair |url=https://nypost.com/2019/09/11/bull-riding-group-wants-to-help-pay-for-charging-bull-statues-repair/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |website=New York Post |language=en}}</ref> and Di Modica personally came to the site the following month to repair his creation.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1pSZCKTMks |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/u1pSZCKTMks |archive-date=November 14, 2021 |url-status=live |title=Iconic Charging Bull Sculpture Getting Repair After Attack |publisher=CBS New York |via=YouTube |date=October 23, 2019 |access-date=October 31, 2020 |type=News broadcast}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Then, on October 7, activists from [[Extinction Rebellion]] hurled fake blood over the sculpture and staged a [[die-in]] on the surrounding traffic plaza.<ref>{{cite web |title=Iconic Charging Bull Statue Vandalized During 'Extinction Rally' Climate Change Protest; Dozens Arrested |website=CBS New York |date=October 7, 2019 |url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/10/07/extinction-rally-charging-bull-statue-vandalized/ |access-date=October 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chapman |first=Ben |date=October 8, 2019 |title=New York's Charging Bull Statue Covered With Fake Blood |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-yorks-charging-bull-statue-covered-with-fake-blood-11570488527 |access-date=October 31, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In June 2020, ''Charging Bull'' was covered in a tarp and monitored by police to protect it from vandalism attempts during the [[George Floyd protests in New York City]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Yakas |first1=Ben |last2=Hogan |first2=Gwynne |date=June 11, 2020 |title=Live Protest Updates: NYPD Lieutenant Apologizes To Fellow Officers For "Horrible Decision" To Kneel With Protesters |url=http://gothamist.com/news/live-protest-updates-de-blasio-again-calls-brooklyn-street-named-after-robert-e-lee-be-changed |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=Gothamist |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613143323/https://gothamist.com/news/live-protest-updates-de-blasio-again-calls-brooklyn-street-named-after-robert-e-lee-be-changed |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The history of the sculpture and its sculptor was presented in the 2014 Italian documentary film ''Il Toro di Wall Street'', released internationally as ''The Charging Bull''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mymovies.it/film/2014/iltorodiwallstreet/ |title=The Charging Bull – The Bull of Wall Street |last=MYmovies.it |website=MYmovies.it |language=it |access-date=February 22, 2018}}</ref> In ''[[Mr. Robot]]'', Darlene Alderson ([[Carly Chaikin]]) is shown castrating the statue.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/where-mr-robot-left-off-season-2.html |title='Mr. Robot': Everything That Happened in Season 2 |date=October 11, 2017 |language=en |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mr-robot-season-2-premiere-909697 |title='Mr. Robot' Season 2 Premiere Recap ‖ Hollywood Reporter |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=July 11, 2016 |language=en |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>

Charging Bull has featured in several films set in [[Manhattan]], including ''[[The Big Short]]'', ''[[The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film)|The Wolf of Wall Street]]'', and ''[[Hitch (film)|Hitch]]''. The statue appears in [[Arthur (2011 film)|the 2011 remake of ''Arthur'']] in which [[Russell Brand]] and [[Luis Guzman]] respectively as Arthur and his butler crash into it with a [[Batmobile]] while dressed as [[Batman]] and [[Robin (character)|Robin]] handing the bovine a giant severance package.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2011/04/08/russell-brands-a-stinko-drunk-in-arthur-remake/ |title=Russell Brand's a stinko drunk in 'Arthur' remake |last=Verniere |first=James |date=April 8, 2011 |work=Boston Herald}}</ref> In ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'' (2010), the sculpture comes alive and chases [[Nicolas Cage]]'s character down Broadway. The sculpture can be seen floating through space at the end of ''[[Don't Look Up]]'' (2021) after presumably being blown into orbit by the comet's impact.

==See also==
* [[Market sentiment]]
* [[Big Bull, India|''Big Bull'', India]] – a similar sculpture originally located inside the Bombay Stock Exchange, Mumbai
* [[The Pasture]] – a set of grazing cattle sculptures located within Toronto's Financial District
* [[Bust of Edward Snowden]] – another example of New York guerrilla art
* [[Art in Odd Places]] festival
* [[CowParade]]
* [[Qilin]] – ancient Chinese symbol of prosperity

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925202839/http://www.chargingbull.com/|title=Official website}}

{{Financial District, Manhattan|state=collapsed}}
{{Public art in Manhattan}}

[[Category:1989 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:1989 sculptures]]
[[Category:Bowling Green (New York City)]]
[[Category:Bronze sculptures in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Fictional bulls]]
[[Category:Financial District, Manhattan]]
[[Category:Guerrilla art and hacking art]]
[[Category:Occupy Wall Street]]
[[Category:Outdoor sculptures in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Sculptures of cattle]]
[[Category:Statues in New York City]]
[[Category:Vandalized works of art in New York City]]