Vaquero Statue, El Paso

Luis Jiménez’s Vaquero is a large outdoor sculpture that celebrates the region’s ranching roots through a bold, modern image of a Mexican American cowboy. The word “vaquero” comes from the Spanish vaca (cow) and points to the horsemen who shaped cattle culture across the Southwest and northern Mexico. Jiménez modeled Vaquero in 1980, using bright, glossy color and fiberglass to push back against the traditional, solemn look of many public monuments.

The sculpture shows a rider on a bucking bronco with one arm raised holding a pistol. Horse and rider form a sweeping curve that suggests fast movement and energy. Jiménez used fiberglass with a bright, glossy finish, linking the cowboy image to popular culture rather than traditional bronze monuments. The work also highlights the Spanish and Mexican roots of the vaquero tradition.

A version of Vaquero stood outside the local art museum from 1998 until 2011, where the piece became a well-known landmark for visitors arriving at the building. The sculpture was on loan from a private collector, and after a sale the work left in 2011 for a new home, later appearing at Crystal Bridges in Arkansas.