







Athlete, Male Nude
Robert Tait McKenzie (1867-1938)
Plaster Maquette, Studio Original, Signed in the Model
Canadian
First Quarter of the 20th Century
17.5" x 6" x 6"
Canadian-born physician, educator, and sculptor Robert Tait McKenzie united science, sport, and art in a remarkable career. Trained in medicine at McGill University, he became a pioneer in physical education while pursuing sculpture as a means to study the human body. Largely self-taught, he combined anatomical precision with classical ideals, creating works that celebrated athletic strength, discipline, and movement. From early facial studies of effort to full figures like sprinters, javelin throwers, and competitors, his art reflected both rigorous measurement and expressive vitality. McKenzie’s legacy endures as a rare fusion of medical knowledge and sculptural vision.
This plaster maquette is signed in the model and is expressive of his passion for proportion, classicism and the beauty of the male athlete.
Inventory # 1027
Price $ 1,450