Statue vs Sculpture
Statue and Sculpture are two words that are often confused due to the similarity in their meanings. Strictly speaking there is some difference between the two words. A statue is a large sculpture of a person or an animal. It is usually made of stone or any other metal like bronze. On the other hand, a sculpture is a work of art, and it is produced by carving stone or wood or any other material for that matter. This is the main difference between statue and sculpture. Thus, statue can be said to be a subset of sculpture.
Sculpture is a piece of art executed with creativity. On the other hand, the element of creativity is generally not found in the making of a statue. A statue can only be a replica, whereas a sculpture can be a replica and can be even a creative production. Sculpture is a fine art, whereas statue is not an aspect of fine art.
Thus, it can be said that a sculpture is a unique piece of art, but a statue cannot be a unique piece of art. It is either same or similar to the person or an animal modeled by which it is made. This is an important difference between the two words.
It is important to know that both sculpture and statue differ in terms of their size as well. The size of a statue has to be big or life-size. On the other hand, a sculpture has no dimension. It can be of any dimension. It can be modern in conception too, whereas, a statue cannot have a modern conception in its making.
A statue thus, is very much likely to look like a person, whereas a sculpture is a creation based on pure imagination and creativity. For example, the sculpture of a religious figure need not look exactly like the figure for that matter. It can be an imaginative creation as well. Since mythological characters were never seen by people, the sculptors use their imagination to a great extent to create their images. Thus, images can be found in religious buildings. These images portray religious or mythological characters in an imaginative way.
Another important difference between sculpture and statue is that sculpture can be exhibited in group shows or one-man shows of the creative artists. On the other hand, statues cannot be exhibited in group shows or one-man shows. In fact, statues are meant for celebrations and worship.
Sculpture too is meant for worship based upon its religious significance. Primarily they are meant for visual enjoyment. Statues are not meant for visual enjoyment. A sculptor enjoys more liberty and freedom when compared to a statue maker. This shows that sculpture is a piece meant for appreciation. It appeals definitely to the human mind. It is important to note that statues can be sometimes bigger than life-size.