Solon H. Borglum, born Ogden, UT - Horse - 1916 - T-Shirt

A pencil construction study of a horse in profile, facing left, drawn by American sculptor Solon Borglum in 1916.

Visual Elements & Composition

The drawing sits on warm white paper, with graphite grey as the only other tone. The horse's head, long neck and body are traced with thin, searching lines, while the legs are built from overlapping construction strokes rather than finished contours. A bridle and reins are suggested near the head and shoulder. Fragmentary marks gather at the upper edge and lower left, and the lines are left visible where they were redrawn, so the working process stays on the page. The result is spare and tentative, with most of the sheet left open.

Meaning & Symbolism

The drawing records Borglum working out the proportions of the neck, back and limbs before the animal existed in bronze. A sculptor had to settle the angle of the legs and the set of the head before modelling in three dimensions, and this sheet shows that step between observation and finished form. Borglum (1868–1922) was born in Ogden, Utah, and became known for bronze animal and Western subjects after many years working in Paris. The harnessed horse also points to the animal's long role in the Western story as a working and travelling companion.

Where the Study Meets the Shirt

A drawing this open reads best at chest scale, where the search lines and the bridle can be taken in at a glance. The horse faces left across the front of the shirt, so the tentative strokes stay legible as the wearer moves. The pale ground of the paper and the grey pencil give the print the same quiet contrast as the original sheet.