Horse Studies

Solon H. Borglum's anatomical sketches demonstrate the precise observation required of late-nineteenth-century animal sculptors. These studies capture horses from multiple angles—standing, moving, and in repose—with particular attention to leg structure and musculature. Such drawings served as essential working documents, allowing artists to understand animal form before translating it into three-dimensional sculpture. Borglum, born in Utah and trained in the academic tradition, used these sketches as part of his sculptural practice, which would eventually establish him as a leading figure in American monumental art.