The Sprinter

R. Tait McKenzie (1867–1938)

1902

Bronze

Sewell C. Biggs bequest; 2004.492

R. Tait McKenzie was educated in both the medical sciences and drawing, and taught anatomy at McGill University in Canada before becoming the director of the physical education department at the University of Pennsylvania. McKenzie taught himself to sculpt, using his medical training to create figure studies of mathematically idealized proportions. He synthesized the proportions of 74 sprinters who could cover 100 yards in 10.4 seconds or less to determine the idealized body measurements of his award-winning Sprinter.