Snellen Maurice (Snell) Johnson (1939 - 2001)

Horseworld, 1989

Gift of Howard E. Keim

This bronze sculpture, signaling the entrance to WestWorld, shows a group of three horses which represent an Arabian, Thoroughbred, and a Quarter Horse. The horses are depicted each exhibiting a different behavior: the Quarter Horse is cutting, the Thoroughbred is racing, and the Arabian is showing.

Snell Johnson, a self-taught artist, was a colorful figure with a background that included a short period in prison where he regularly painted and explored art. Johnson’s sculptures are known worldwide, and include the MGM Grand Lion in Las Vegas, and Caesar in Johannesburg, South Africa (the largest bronze ever shipped across the ocean in one piece). He was a prolific western bronze sculptor, creating more than 500 bronzes, 350 of which are life-size.