Luis Jiménez, Vaquero, modeled 1980/cast 1990, acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature, 199 x 114 x 67 in. (505.5 x 289.6 x 170.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Judith and Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Anne and Ronald Abramson, and Thelma and Melvin Lenkin, 1990.44, © 1980, Luis Jiménez
Copied
Artwork Details
- Title
- Vaquero
- Artist
- Date
- modeled 1980/cast 1990
- Location
- Dimensions
- 199 x 114 x 67 in. (505.5 x 289.6 x 170.2 cm.)
- Copyright
- © 1980, Luis Jiménez
- Credit Line
- Gift of Judith and Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Anne and Ronald Abramson, and Thelma and Melvin Lenkin
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature
- Classifications
- Highlights
- Subjects
- Mexican
- Occupation — other — cowboy
- Equestrian
- Object Number
- 1990.44
- Research Notes
Artwork Description
Luis Jiménez began making monumental sculptures in the midst of the Latino civil rights movement. He dedicated himself to contemporary subjects that represented a racially diverse and working class America. Vaquero, which means cowboy in Spanish, is one of his most celebrated works.
Jiménez’s Vaquero depicts an anonymous Mexican American cowboy in colorful and glossy fiberglass, a material more associated with low riders and hot rods.Jiménez intentionally titled his sculpture Vaquero to emphasize the Spanish and Mexican roots of this classic American icon. “Spaniards brought cattle and horses [to North America],” the artist once recalled, “and Mexicans developed the whole notion of being cowboys.” The artist thought it was especially fitting that Vaquero came to permanently reside in the nation’s capital, a city known for its abundant equestrian public sculpture.Videos
Video Player is loading.
-
-
Vaquero Returns: Conserving Luis Jiménez’s Monumental Sculpture
-
Director's Choice - Vaquero by Luis Jimenez
-
Meet the Artist: Luis Jimenez
