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

A sheet of many small pencil studies of nude swimmers, drawn by sculptor Solon Borglum on tan paper, with figures caught mid-stroke, floating and diving across the page.

Visual Elements & Composition

Tan paper dominates the sheet, with fine pencil lines in pale graphite grey and darker accents where contours meet. Most figures lie horizontal or diagonal, with arms reaching, heads turned and legs extended. A cluster sits near the centre while others scatter toward the left and right edges. Some figures are drawn upside down or at steep angles, and several overlap so that limbs and torsos cross one another. The line stays mostly unshaded, which keeps the page light and quick.

Meaning & Symbolism

Assembling many poses on one sheet was a common way to map the range of movement a single subject could make, letting an artist compare positions side by side. For a sculptor, a page like this served as a reference for gestures, each one a possible starting point for a finished composition. Solon Hannibal Borglum (1868-1922), born in Ogden, Utah, became known for animal and figurative work, including bronzes of horses and frontier subjects. He was the brother of Gutzon Borglum, later known for Mount Rushmore. This multi-figure study reflects the preparatory investigation of the body that informed his sculpture.

On the Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee

Across a tee, the drawing spreads over the chest and reads as a scatter of figures in motion, so the eye moves from one pose to the next as the wearer moves. The overlapping limbs and upside-down figures stay legible at close range, rewarding a second look in the mirror and across a room.