Sculptor Arturo Di Modica, who created the famous Charging Bull statue that has graced the streets of lower Manhattan since 1989, died on February 19 at age 80. This according to a recent article in Barron’s.

The article offers insights on the artist from his friend and fellow sculptor Dionisio Cimarelli, who said of the sculpture: “The way he did these shapes was very original—strong, powerful, but also soft and smooth. I think that was his temperament, too.”

According to the article, Di Modica created the 16-foot, 3 ½ ton bull in response to the stock market crash of 1987, “hoping to embolden investors, New Yorkers, and all who might come to see it. He left it on the street one night as a gift to the world, after spending more than $300,000 to make it.” Cimarelli recalls that Di Modica had to ask for donations from family to complete the sculpture, which became an international symbol of capitalism.

“What I like most is the power of the front legs,” Cimarelli says of the bull. “It’s not all centered and balanced, and that gives it power.” He adds, “Arturo gives the energy to the bull, and the bull gives the energy to the stock market to keep going, to keep fighting.”