西方雕塑与肖像雕塑的区别需要从几方面来分析，，社会公众对他们就有本质上的区别，在西方雕塑从业人员被称为雕塑家，他们跟画家，美术家被看着是同在一个群体，而在雕塑从业人员被称为工匠，他们社会地位低下，只被称为一般的普通从业人员，甚是粗工。伴随着西方雕塑的流入，这些雕塑从业人员才被认同，雕塑被列为美术的重要组成部分，雕塑家的地位才被提升，才增加了社会公众对雕塑家的认同。
The differences between Western sculpture and portrait sculpture need to be analyzed from several aspects. First of all, there are essential differences between them from the public. In the west, sculpture practitioners are called sculptors. They are regarded as the same group as painters and artists. In China, sculpture practitioners are called craftsmen. They have a low social status and are only called ordinary practitioners, Even rough work. With the inflow of Western sculpture, these sculptors were recognized, sculpture was listed as an important part of fine arts, and the status of Chinese sculptors was promoted, which increased the social public's recognition of sculptors.
这是西方雕塑与雕塑有何区别的其中一个原因。
This is one of the reasons why Western sculpture is different from Chinese sculpture.
其次从实践层面来讲，在近代，尽管肖像雕塑工匠与西方雕塑家在创作形式上极为相似，但是两者肩负的社会责任大相径庭。在，雕塑人员仍然是传统分工中的一员，其主要职责是为寺庙建筑塑像、为建筑雕刻石头。一方面，他们没有独立创作的自由空间;另一方面，从表现对象、作品所处空间等方面来讲，他们的作品缺少介入社会现实的能力。而在西方，在"工作室"自由创作的雕塑能借助作品表达自己对社会的观察，作品力量丝毫不弱于同时代的画家。
Secondly, from the practical level, in modern times, although the portrait sculptor and the Western sculptor are very similar in the form of creation, they bear different social responsibilities. In China, sculptors are still part of the traditional division of labor. Their main responsibilities are to build statues for temples and to carve stones for buildings. On the one hand, they don't have free space for independent creation; on the other hand, their works lack the ability to intervene in social reality from the aspects of performance objects and the space in which they work. In the west, sculptures created freely in "studio" can express their observation of society by means of works, and the power of works is no less than that of contemporary painters.
接受各方定件、从中获利的西方雕塑，其作品则可以进入各种现代社会的公共空间，比如广场、街头、公园，其作品自然会引起公众关注。这也是西方雕塑与肖像雕塑有何区别的另一个原因。
The Western sculptures, which accept the orders of all parties and make profits from them, can enter various public spaces in modern society, such as squares, streets and parks. Their works will naturally attract public attention. This is another reason for the difference between Western sculpture and portrait sculpture.
