Solon H. Borglum, born Ogden, UT - Nudes and Leaf - n.d. - T-Shirt

A pencil and red chalk study of a standing male nude in profile, surrounded by smaller figure sketches, hand studies and a dark leaf form, all laid out on a single undated sheet.

Visual Elements & Composition

Graphite pencil dominates the sheet, set on a warm parchment ground. The large central figure turns to the right with its head lifted and one arm hanging loosely at its side. Red chalk appears sparingly along the contour of the head, shoulder and leg, marking the points where the outline turns and the body moves in space. Smaller nude studies sit at the upper left and upper right, one with an arm reaching toward the centre. Detailed hand studies fill the lower right, and a tapering leaf form rests beside a small curled shape at the lower left.

Meaning & Symbolism

The drawing is a working study rather than a narrative scene. The artist focuses on weight, structure and the modelling of ribs, chest and belly, which reflects the anatomical observation behind sculpture. The leaf introduces a note of natural form and the decorative vocabulary that often accompanied figure work of the period. Solon Hannibal Borglum (1868-1922) was born in Ogden, Utah, trained in Paris and became known for sculpture of animals and western subjects. This sheet records the foundation of that practice.

Printed Across the Tee

A sheet of studies suits a shirt well, because the figures and hands are spread across the surface and read as a sequence rather than a single image. The central nude sits at chest height, so the profile and the lifted head stay in view when you wear it, while the smaller studies and the leaf hold the edges of the design. The pencil lines carry the drawing's character straight onto the fabric, as they do on the paper.