Ready to Ride and I Say Bear by Marcia Gaylor

Marcia Gaylor
b.1947 | American

Ready to Ride - Charging Bull and I Say Bear

Each signed "M. Gaylor" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

The poetic terms "bull" and "bear" market are brought vividly to life in this charming diptych by the American painter Marcia Gaylor. The unofficial mascot of Wall Street — the Charging Bull — is the subject of one of the oils, while the other captures the visage of a grinning bear. Common in the investing world, the terms "bull" and "bear" have historically been used to describe market performance, with a bull market referring to a market on the rise and a bear market indicating a more sluggish performance. The bull and bear in these paintings put a charming face on the well-known financial terms, symbolizing the ebb and flow of the business world.

A tourist’s delight, the iconic bronze sculpture upon which Ready to Ride - Charging Bull was based stands in the Financial District in New York City, where it draws thousands of visitors a day. Crafted by the Sicilian sculptor Arturo Di Modica in 1989, the 7,100-pound sculpture is perhaps the most loved and recognizable statues in the city, excepting the Statue of Liberty. The bull, a symbol of economic strength and prosperity, is uniquely suited to its home in Lower Manhattan. Gaylor's depiction of the iconic work perfectly captures the dynamic energy of the original, evoking an angry bull ready to charge.

Based in southern California, Marcia Gaylor is renowned for her historical scenes that capture the New York City and Chicago stock market trading floors and vibrant financial districts. Before pursuing painting as a career, she earned a business degree from the University of Southern California, and her financial background clearly influenced the direction of her art later in her life. Most of her paintings focus on the economic history of the United States as she captures the financial heart of the country's largest cities. The result is a body of work that stands in colorful tribute to the economy and the power of capital. Today, she remains an active member of the California Art Club, Oil Painters of America, Women Painters of America, as well as the American Impressionist Society. Her paintings are in the permanent Corporate Collection of NASDAQ, CBOT, CBOE, and the American Stock Exchange.

Painted in 2016

Each canvas: 18" high x 18" wide
Frame: 26" high x 26" wide