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Art & Art History vocabulary · Sculpture

Relief

Meaning in art & art history, with examples

/rɪˈliːf/nounCommon term

In art & art history, relief means: A sculpture in which figures or shapes stand out from a flat background, like those carved on temple walls, coins or sarcophagi.

In Turkish: kabartma, rölyef

How it is used

Types depend on depth: low relief (bas-relief), where figures project only slightly, and high relief, where they almost stand free. Reliefs are carved, cast or moulded; a long relief band along a building is a frieze.

Example sentences

  1. The sarcophagus is decorated with reliefs showing a lion hunt.

  2. The figures in high relief cast deep shadows in the afternoon light.

Common collocations

  • low relief
  • high relief
  • relief panel
  • carved relief
  • bas-relief
  • sculptureA three-dimensional artwork made by carving, modelling, casting or assembling materials such as stone, metal, wood or clay; also the art of making such works.
  • carveTo make a sculpture or design by cutting away material from a solid block of stone, wood or ivory.
  • marbleA hard stone, often white or with coloured veins, that can be carved and polished; it has been used for sculpture and buildings since ancient times.
  • statueA sculpture of a person or animal, usually life-size or larger and free-standing, often made of stone or metal and placed in a public space.

More terms: Sculpture

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