Geologen Christoffer Puggaard 1857

This bronze bust of Geologen Christoffer Puggaard was created by H.W. Bissen. Observe how the stern gaze and the bust format give the subject an air of gravitas. Portrait busts emerged in ancient Rome to honor and commemorate notable figures. But the tradition stretches back even further, to funerary masks which were molded directly from the faces of the dead. These were kept in the family home, almost like keeping their spirit alive. We see this impulse repeated across time. The impulse to immortalize someone. And so this portrait is both a specific likeness and a timeless cultural artifact. It touches something deep within the human psyche, our primal need to honor and remember. The bust’s cold, hard material is at odds with the desire it serves. It becomes an eternal and silent guardian. It reminds us of the cyclical, non-linear progression of symbols, forever resurfacing, evolving, and echoing in the vast chambers of history.