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

A pencil study of a bare, gnarled tree beside a row of smaller trees and a tall cypress, drawn in pale cream and soft grey.

Visual Elements & Composition

The sheet is mostly open paper, with the drawing kept light and largely unshaded. A broad, weathered trunk sits right of centre, its branches reaching up and out in thin, angular strokes. To its left, a second leafless tree leans toward a cluster of smaller trees and a low wall or hedge. A slender cypress-like form stands at the far right, and rocks sit at the base of the main trunk. Pencil grey is used sparingly, so the trunk and branches carry the composition.

Meaning & Symbolism

Bare branches and a weathered trunk give the scene its sense of age and stillness. The grove is rendered without figures or incident, so the quiet itself becomes the subject. The contrast between the solid trunk and the faint distant trees creates depth with very little line. Solon Borglum (1868-1922) was an American sculptor and painter known for animal sculpture and large public monuments. Studies like this one reflect the close observation of trees, open country and ground that informed his finished painting and sculpture.

Made for the Wearer

A tree study works well on a tee because it reads as one continuous form. The branches and trunk spread across the chest and shoulders as the eye moves over the fabric, and the open paper around them lets the drawing stand alone. Each shirt carries the same quiet grove, with the slow, observed structure of the original sketch.