The creator of the Charging Bull statue, Arturo Di Modica, said that the fearless girl statue is an insult to his work and is violating his copyright. He created the statue thirty years ago after the stock market crashed in the late 1980’s. According to news sources, the sculptor said that the girl’s statue seems to be attacking the bull.
Here’s the background to the story.
The Wall Street Charging Bull symbolises power, authority and money – everything that the corporate apex of the world stands for. However, the iconic figure now has a fierce competitor in the form of a bronze statue of a defiant young girl.
Kristen Visbal, the man who sculpted the ‘The Fearless Girl’, initially planned to have the statue charge the bull, but he later changed his mind after he decided that a defiant pose would drive home the message of her perseverance better.
The statue is inspired by the nine-year-old daughter of one of Visbal’s friends.
“Know the power of women in leadership. She makes a difference,” is engraved next to the statue.
The statue, by advertising agency McCann New York, was installed by State Street Global Advisors, as a part of their Women’s Day campaign to encourage companies to employ more women to the workforce in mid and higher management.
“We believe good corporate governance is a function of strong, effective and independent board leadership... we are calling on companies to take concrete steps to increase gender diversity on their boards and have issued clear guidance to help them begin to take action,” State Street Global Advisors’ CEO Ron O’Hanley said in a statement.
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