Three Arm Studies

Solon H. Borglum's anatomical studies from the 1890s demonstrate the careful observation underlying figure drawing in this era. These three sketched arms—rendered in ink with varied musculature and gesture—show the foundational work artists undertook before producing finished illustrations. Borglum, a sculptor and illustrator, worked during the period when newspaper illustration demanded both speed and anatomical precision. Such studies were essential studio practice for artists creating the sequential visual narratives that would define the emerging comic strip form in the decades to follow.