What is a bust: characteristic features of this trend in sculpture

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

In almost every city you can see monuments to famous people. All of them are made in a different form and carry a completely different meaning. You can also often see busts of famous people. They are found both on the streets of the city and in museums. Many of these sculptures are true works of art. Now it is worth highlighting in more detail the question of what a bust is from the point of view of sculpture. Many cultural heritage sites are made in this form.

What is a bust in sculpture?

So, you need to figure out what is called a bust. A bust is a sculptural work that depicts the head, shoulders and part of the chest of a person. Most often, this statue is located on a stand. Thus, the question of what a bust is has been considered, now it is worth noting its features.

The main characteristic feature of this direction in sculpture is a three-dimensional form, thanks to which it becomes possible to recreate similar features. The bust is one of the most popular areas of sculptural portraiture. It refers to the round type of sculpture (which refers to three-dimensional objects - such as a statue and a sculptural group). Objects of this type are distinguished by the fact that they can be viewed from any point, since they are three-dimensional. Such figures are usually made of very durable materials, most often marble and bronze busts can be found.

A little about the history of the direction

As you know, the development of sculpture began in time immemorial. Especially popular was and still is the portrait genre. It is to him that the bust belongs. When answering the question of what a bust is, people usually remember many examples that they have ever seen. According to some reports, many sculptures appeared even before the birth of states and nationalities. However, if we talk specifically about round sculpture, and, accordingly, about busts, then a large number of them can be observed in the art of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

Famous busts in world culture

A striking example of this direction is the bust of Nefertiti, which is now kept in one of the museums in Berlin. This work is rightfully considered the culmination in the development of the fine arts of Ancient Egypt. The bust of Nefertiti is a three-dimensional sculpture of extraordinary beauty; a magnificent blue tiara flaunts on her head. Archaeologists have found not only the work of art itself, but also many casts and masks that were used as models to create the masterpiece itself.

If you turn to the history of Ancient Greece, you can also find a lot of wonderful examples. One of the main ideas of ancient Greek sculptors was to convey and show the world all the beauty of a person. This direction of art copes with this task perfectly, because where else, if not in sculpture, is it possible to convey all the features of a person's face. An excellent example of the busts of that time is the bust of Pericles, the famous statesman.

The period of sculptural portraiture in the art of Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome also created many unique works of art in the form of busts. It is important to note that in ancient Roman culture there was a special period of sculptural portraiture, it is rightfully considered one of the most important stages in the development of the art of Ancient Rome.

This period is primarily characterized by the fact that the masters sought to accurately convey the character of a person and a realistic appearance in their works. This direction took first place in ancient Roman art.

Known examples of busts of that time are the bust of Emperor Augustus, the bust of Claudius and many others. Now these magnificent works of art are kept in many museums around the world.

Busts in our country

Of course, over the long years of our country's existence, many busts of great and famous people have been created by talented sculptors. However, this direction was most widely used, perhaps, in the Soviet era. Bust of Stalinor Lenin could be seen in almost every city of our vast country. They really were widespread and were mainly made of bronze. The opening of the bust of Stalin was always accompanied by solemn events. These sculptures can still be seen in many cities of Russia, both on small streets and on huge squares. For example, in Moscow, a bust of Stalin is installed in several places at once. They were installed both in Soviet times and in the post-Soviet period.

Why is this art movement so popular?

As mentioned above, busts have always occupied an important place in the culture and art of many nations. What is most interesting, this happened throughout almost the entire history of mankind. So why has this direction always interested people so much and forced them to create more and more new objects?

Firstly, people have always been interested in realism in art, so they sought to convey real individual facial features in stone and metal. Secondly, such a work of art is a kind of monument. The bust allows you to perpetuate a famous person and pass on his memory through many generations. The third reason is the interest directly in the technique of performing this task, because the creation of such a sculpture is not an easy job. However, many masters are interested in trying to solve this problem in their own way, so they are looking for more and more new methods.