Are Roman Busts Accurate?

Unlike the ancient Greek portraits that strived for idealization (the Greeks believed that a good man must be beautiful), Roman portrait sculpture was far more natural and is still considered one of the most realistic samples of the genre in the history of art.

How accurate are ancient Roman busts?

They were fairly accurate. But they did take liberties. It's a fairly complex history actually, as there wasn't just one school of thought regarding Greek and Roman art, and both had their own transformations as time went on.

Why did Romans make busts?

Their sculptures were created mainly to honor their ancestors, gods and goddesses, philosophers, military generals, and leaders. Romans made their statues of people very realistic looking, while the Greeks focused on exaggerated beauty.