What is a bust?

[Eleatic Guest]

One thing completely overlooked is that thanks to the immense Greek and Roman output of more or less naturalistic statues and especially busts, we are better informed about the appearance and looks of prominent ancient persons than of every other historical period up to the introduction of oil painting in the 15th century. Who knows how Ashoka, Dareios or the first emperor of China looked like? We have not the vaguest idea. But we know how Caesar's cousin, the second wife of Cato (vaguely) or some third-class Athenian philosopher looked like.

But what is a bust actually? Is this sculptural technique unique to ancient art or did specifically the Egyptians also create busts? Is the head alone enough or does it take a part of the upper body to qualify as a bust?

Are these three sculptures all busts?

Head+half of the torso: [url:1erp1fu7]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RichardBently-bust-Roubiliac.jpg[/url]
Head+neck: [url:1erp1fu7]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Schwarzenberg_Glyptothek_Munich.jpg[/url]
Just head: [url:1erp1fu7]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portr%C3%A4tkopf.jpg[/url]

[Epictetus]

We might need an art historian to explain the history of the art form, but in regards to its definition I always thought it was the head and shoulders. It looks like that is the common definition, according to dictionary.com:

a sculptured, painted, drawn, or engraved representation of the upper part of the human figure, esp. a portrait sculpture showing only the head and shoulders of the subject.

[Tarbicus]

The head and neck, with a portion of the shoulders and upper torso. The head and neck only is a portrait sculpture, as already said.

[Eleatic Guest]

The head and neck, with a portion of the shoulders and upper torso. The head and neck only is a portrait sculpture, as already said.

But what is the 'intrinsic' difference? I mean, the shoulders aren't exactly the most expressive body parts, so what do they add aesthetically to a portrait sculpture?

[Tarbicus]

It's more substantial, for a start. It really doesn't matter about the 'why' (Italian term 'busto'), but it separates that type of sculpture from a portrait sculpture. It also puts the head into context, with usually some part of the subject's clothing being shown, while taking up less space on display and costing less than a full body sculpture.

When it comes down to the nuts and bolts of sculptural terminology, only the first example you posted is a bust, the other two portraits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richa ... biliac.jpg

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Exactly. If you were only to see a portrait head of Caesar, say from a coin or the one from Egypt, for example, one might think that he was a scrawny sob, but a bust will add the muscularity of the soldiers physique, or the layers of soft living of a Cicero on the other side of the coin.

Then there is the double meaning of the female busts..... 8)

[SigniferOne]

The head and neck, with a portion of the shoulders and upper torso. The head and neck only is a portrait sculpture, as already said.

But what is the 'intrinsic' difference? I mean, the shoulders aren't exactly the most expressive body parts, so what do they add aesthetically to a portrait sculpture?

A bust is defined by the Classical definition: a sculptural work aimed at depicting only the character of the person, rather than his whole body.

The Roubiliac bust is not outside of this tradition. It is is merely a 17th century fashion trend: aiming to surpass Classical inheritance by expanding the 'area of coverage', and a Baroque sensibility of adding additional details to a subject.

Asking "what do shoulders aesthetically add to portrait sculpture" is the wrong question when trying to figure out the definition. The definition is what the object is, regardless of how integrated/effective it may be.

That being said, many of the Baroque busts are extremely effective, expanding into the upper body of the person and underlining their role as a monk or a clergyman through their habit:
http://www.all-art.org/baroque/images/algardi16.jpg

It is also hard to find an antique bust that is more majestic/kingly than this bust of Louis XIV by Bernini (the cloak and articulated armor having an important role in the overall composition)
https://www.myartprints.co.uk/kunst/gia ... 638_hi.jpg