Relief

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Relief Sculpture Involves Elevating Elements Above a Solid Background Relief sculpture is a sculptural technique where elements are elevated above a solid background made of the same material. The term "relief" originates from the Latin verb "relevo," meaning to raise. To create a relief sculpture, artists give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane by lowering the field and leaving the unsculpted parts seemingly raised. Cutting into a flat surface of stone or wood requires considerable chiseling away of the background, which is a time-consuming process. However, relief sculpture saves forming the rear of a subject, making it less fragile and more securely fixed than a sculpture in the round. This technique reduces the risk of damage, especially for standing figures where ankles can be a weak point. In various materials like metal, clay, plaster stucco, ceramics, or papier-mâché, artists can simply add to or raise up from the background. Monumental bronze reliefs are created by casting. The degree of relief depends on how much the sculpted form projects from the field, and different terms describe these variations. The range of relief degrees includes high relief, where more than 50% of the depth is shown and undercut areas may be present; mid-relief, with a moderate projection; low-relief, also known as bas-relief, where only a small portion of the depth is visible; and shallow-relief or rilievo schiacciato, where the plane is nearly level with the sculpted elements. There is also sunk relief, which was primarily used in Ancient Egypt. The distinction between high relief and low relief is crucial and widely accepted. Many works combine areas from multiple categories, sometimes blending styles within a single figure; therefore, some writers prefer to avoid these distinctions altogether. The opposite of relief sculpture is counter-relief or intaglio, where the form is cut into the background rather than rising from it; this technique is rare in monumental sculpture. Works created using this technique are described as "in relief," and in monumental sculpture, the work itself is referred to as "a relief."