Digteren Carsten Hauch 1858

This is a plaster bust of the poet Carsten Hauch, created by H.W. Bissen, measuring 66 cm in height. The bust presents Hauch with a bare neck and classical drapery, recalling the tradition of ancient Roman portraiture. The Romans adopted the Greek custom of idealizing their leaders through sculpture, but the concept of the bust has even more ancient origins. Busts of this kind can be traced back to the funerary customs of ancient Egypt. Egyptians would often create portrait busts of the deceased to be placed in tombs. Their function was to provide a physical likeness of the person, ensuring their identity would be remembered in the afterlife. The impulse to create a lasting memorial of the face is deeply rooted in the human psyche; it's a manifestation of our primal desire to transcend mortality. In viewing this bust, we are reminded of this cyclical return to the past, where cultural practices are reborn.