In almost any city you can see monuments to famous people. All of them are made in different forms and have a completely different meaning. You can also often see busts of famous people. They are found both in the city streets and in museums. Many of these sculptures are real works of art. Now it’s worthwhile to elaborate on the question of what a bust is from the point of view of sculpture. Many objects of cultural heritage are made in this form.
What is a bust in sculpture?
So, you need to understand what is called a bust. A bust is a sculptural work that depicts the head, shoulders and part of the human chest. Most often, this statue is located on a stand. Thus, the question of what a bust was was considered, now it is worth noting its features.
The main characteristic feature of such a direction in sculpture is its volumetric form, due to which it is possible to recreate similar features. The bust is one of the most popular areas of sculptural portraiture. It refers to the round form of sculpture (which means three-dimensional objects - such as a statue and a sculptural group). Objects of this type differ in that they can be viewed from any point, since they are voluminous. Such figures are usually made of very durable materials, most often you can find marble and bronze busts.
A bit about the history of the direction
As you know, the development of sculpture began in time immemorial. Particularly 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, a lot of examples that they have ever seen appear in people's memory. 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 trend is the bust of Nefertiti, which is now stored in one of the museums in Berlin. This work is rightly considered the culmination in the development of the fine arts of Ancient Egypt. The bust of Nefertiti is a voluminous 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 look at the history of ancient Greece, you can also find a lot of wonderful examples. One of the main ideas of the ancient Greek sculptors was to convey and show the world the beauty of man. This direction of art perfectly copes with this task, because where else, if not in sculpture, is it possible to convey all the facial features of a person. A great 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
In ancient Rome, many unique works of art in the form of busts were also created. It is important to note that in the 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.
Famous 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 stored in many museums around the world.
Busts in our country
Of course, over the long years of our country's existence, talented sculptors have created many busts of great and famous people. However, the most widespread this direction was, perhaps, in Soviet times. A bust of Stalin or Lenin could be seen in almost every city in our vast country. They really gained wide circulation and were mainly made of bronze. The opening of the bust of Stalin was always accompanied by solemn events. These sculptures can now be seen in many cities of Russia both in small streets and in huge squares. For example, in Moscow, a bust of Stalin was 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 peoples. What is most interesting, this has happened throughout almost the entire history of mankind. So why is this direction always so interested in people and made them create more and more new objects?
Firstly, people have always been interested in realism in art, so they sought to convey real individual features in stone and metal. Secondly, such a work of art is a kind of monument. The bust allows you to perpetuate any famous person and pass on the memory of him 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 task. 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.