busts

Busts are sculptural representations of the head, neck, and upper chest of a person, often life-size or smaller, used as portraiture or commemoration. The word bust is also common in law enforcement to denote a successful arrest or seizure, such as a drug bust.

In art, busts emphasize facial features and expression and are found in many cultures and periods. Common materials include marble, limestone, bronze, plaster, terracotta, and wood. Techniques range from direct carving to modeling and casting; bronze works typically use the lost-wax process. Busts may be idealized or true portraits and are displayed on pedestals, shelves, or integrated into larger monuments.

Historically, busts appear in ancient Greece and Rome as public and private portraits, continuing through medieval and Renaissance sculpture, and remaining widely produced in modern times for museums, institutions, and personal memorials.

Iconic examples include the Bust of Nefertiti (c. 1345 BCE, limestone, painted) and numerous Roman imperial busts that survive in sculpture collections. Busts continue to be used in contemporary sculpture and as a recognizable form of commemorative portraiture, balancing artistic representation with documentary likeness.