Sound Construction Study

Sculptor Solon H. Borglum's anatomical sketches present a human skeleton as architectural framework. The studies explore structural principles—ribcage as load-bearing support, spine as central column, limbs as bracing members—rendered with the precision of engineering drawings. Two cottage designs flank the skeletal studies, suggesting Borglum's investigation of how organic and built forms share fundamental organizational logic. These working drawings reveal a sculptor's method: understanding the body's internal geometry before rendering its surface. Borglum's approach reflects early modernism's fascination with revealing hidden systems and universal design principles underlying both flesh and stone.