Which is the real Beethoven (at left)? One is his "life mask" and the other is a working copy I made of my sculpture to compare my progress in making a "likeness". After studying the differences, I applied the changes to my work and came up with what you see below for one of my sculptures of him.
If you have ever considered having a bust of your loved one done, this is the right time to do it. Currently, I have the time to take on such projects and this may not be the case in the future. Also, it is probably more affordable than you think. Having a bronze cast is the most expensive option but, there are other alternatives that bring down the cost considerably . For example, you might opt for having the clay original fired in a kiln or try a cold cast bronze. All are beautiful, durable, and with care, will last forever. (See the bottom of the page for other price options).
Now you may ask, "do I need to go to Phoenix to do it?" The answer is no. Without going into detail, there are ways to make it happen without you having to sit for long hours in the studio. (see how I got Ludwig Van Beethoven to sit for me below). Now you may ask, "will it be a good likeness?" the answer is yes! For the sake of comparison, I have included images on this page of a bust I did of Beethoven which you can compare with the image of his life cast. See for yourself, that the images are very close. Keep in mind that the finished statue is much more exact, this photo was taken for demonstation purposes and to let me see what additional changes had to be made. I like to leave a little room for artistic interpretation with each piece I do, otherwise I would just be a 3D copy machine and that can't be any fun. For that kind of exactness, one does not need an artist to do the work, but rather someone to make a body cast and that is not what I do.
Apparently, there are not any photos of Beethoven, only a couple of famous paintings and sculptures. However, he did leave behind two plaster casts taken directly from his face. One was a death mask, which I found very scary looking, and another was a "life-cast" taken by a famous Viennese sculptor who is said to have made the most accurate likeness of him in a statue. (Of course, they haven't seen mine yet). If you go to Bonn, Germany and visit the Beethoven house, you will see this statue. This is where the mask I used is from. In the studio, I put the mask on a pole and used it as my model as I sculpted my statue of him from clay.
COST OF MAKING A COMMISSIONED LIKENESS
The lowest estimate is going to fall in the $1600 range with you taking home a fired ceramic original bust. For a cold-cast bronze bust, add an additional $500 (additional casting can be made for around $200 each.) Thus the "cold-cast" option will cost you somewhere in the $2100 range. For a traditional foundry-cast Bronze bust, add an additional $900 to $1400 to the original $1600. Therefore, your total would be from $2500 to $3000. The reason the price fluctuates here is due to the fact that the foundries do not have a standard set price for anything. Foundry work is very labor-intensive and therefore expensive. With the least expensive or first option (fired clay), keep in mind, that you can always have your bust cast in bronze at a later date.
The above are rough estimates subject to change at any notice but are fairly accurate. When we decide exactly what you want done, I will give you a price and honor that agreement.
T. J. Hogan
A quick photo of one of my "versions" of Beethoven (life size).