Marble busts

[Jillity]

I have no idea where to post this question so I'll put it on here.  I have a photo of a marble bust of one of my ancestors.  The bust was made after the man died.  What I'm wondering is how did they make the bust?  I mean how did they get a good likeness? 

[nanny jan]

Could a death mask have been made and a bust made from that?   

[Viktoria]

Perhaps they worked from a photograph,have you dates etc?
Viktoria.

[Ruskie]

What date are you talking about?
Maybe he sat for the sculptor before he died.
Depending on the era, maybe photos were used for reference.
If you don't have any photos of your ancestor, how do you know if the bust is a good likeness of him?
I don't know if this was ever done, but I suppose a sculpture could be made using a death mask for reference.

Added: Red notification, but I will post this anyway 

[Jillity]

My ancestor died suddenly in 1860.  As far as I know there were no photographs and there was no protrait of him.  I wonder if they made a clay mask after he died.  I can't help wondering how they got the likeness and whether it's a true likeness.

[Ruskie]

1860? There may have been contemporay photographs of him. Because none survive today does not mean none were taken.

As to whether or not the likeness is accurate, that is something I can't see how you will never know unless a photograph turns up. A lot of these busts have a sameness about them, and there was probably an attempt to depict the sitter in a flattering way. I don't think you ever see any 'warts and all' marble busts from that era.

Have you checked sources such as newspapers in case there is an image of him? If he was a man of importance there may be records of him?

[Jillity]

I've checked everywhere I can think of to find an image of him.  I feel there must be an image somewhere but no-one has put it online.  He was a man of a certain importance, which is why the bust was made of him.  He was also a very good friend of the writer Sheridan Le Fanu and there are plenty of images of him.  Here's a photo of the bust.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Did he perhaps know the sculptor? As far as I know, the sculptor was active c 1840s to 1860s, in Dublin area, and also the son of a sculptor. Most sculptors seem to have been able to work with a few sittings and studies / reference .
It seems to be a pretty generic type of bust, with the "classical" drapery. There's a very similar bust of an Arthur Jacob.
If you can find family photos, or local press images( - he'd have had  to be a fairly prominent citizen, to be worth having a bust made, wouldn't he? ) that might help assess how good a likeness it is even from other members of his family - an old sculptor I knew used to say as long as he got the ears right, he was okay, because people, especially family,  always thought they'd been really observant spotting if the ears were correct, so the rest must be okay. (That chap worked in clay to be cast in bronze, though.)
Can't see it'd be all that different creating a sculpture ( subtracting to find the form within) than modelling (adding and manipulating, to build a form) given good skills observation and ability on the part of the artist, and he seems to have been very capable.
- Just realised I've repeated several other comments in part during this. Sorry.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Interestingly, one of the marble sculptures catalogued to Kirk is : "Infant son of B Watkins Williams Wynn, marble 1855" - is that any link to your ancestors?
There is also the marble bust catalogued "R Carlisle Williams, M.D. for Royal College of Surgeons" but there doesn't seem to be a date given - is that your man?