Study for Equestrian Monument

Solon H. Borglum's preparatory sketch demonstrates the sculptural tradition of monumental equestrian portraiture. The drawing employs loose ink and wash technique to capture dynamic pose and mass—the rider's upright torso, the horse's implied movement beneath. Borglum, brother of Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum, worked primarily in sculpture and public monuments. This study reveals how artists translated heroic narrative into three-dimensional form, planning compositional balance and anatomical precision before carving or casting. The fluid draftsmanship here serves as working blueprint, a practical stage in the monument-making process that shaped American civic landscapes.