Solon H. Borglum, born Ogden, UT - Flower - n.d. - T-Shirt

A pencil study of three plant forms on cream paper, drawn as a sequence from tight bud to open bloom.

Visual Elements & Composition

The sheet is cream, with graphite grey lines doing all the work. Nothing fills the page but three forms clustered in the upper left, leaving the rest open. At left, a group of tightly furled buds with pointed tips rises from a short stem. At centre, a small, closed rounded bud sits alone. At right, a fuller form opens, broad pointed petals curling outward from a central core, with small sepals at its base. Each form is drawn with a single clean contour and little shading, so the structure reads instantly.

Meaning & Symbolism

The progression from closed bud to partly furled cluster to open bloom reads as growth unfolding over time, and the artist's attention settles on how petals and sepals are built. Studies like this served as reference for ornament, where natural forms were simplified and repeated in decorative schemes. The drawing comes from Solon Borglum (1868-1922), born in Ogden, Utah. He worked principally as a sculptor, best known for animal and figure subjects, and he was the younger brother of Gutzon Borglum. Natural-form studies like this one sit apart from his figure work, yet they connect to the decorative vocabulary of his architectural and ornamental commissions, where flowers and foliage were drawn from life before being carved or modelled.

Stretched Across the Chest

A botanical study of this kind is meant to be looked at closely, and a tee keeps it at that scale. The three forms sit high on the shirt, so the open bloom and the buds read as one quiet sequence when you catch the shirt from across a room or up close at the collar. The cream ground of the drawing and the graphite line give the shirt a restrained, sketchbook character that suits everyday wear.