Dictionary
Relief

Relief [Italian: "rilevare" = to raise] is a sculptural representation that stands out from the surface yet is linked with it. Depending in part on how far the represenation projects from the ground, it is known as low relief (bas-relief), mezzo rilievo (figures and objects seen in the half-round) or high relief. Relief represents a rapprochement between sculpture and painting. A special form is crushed relief [Italian: "rilievo schiacciato" or "stiacciato"] known from the Italian Renaissance, with the projection that almost flush with the ground. This type of relief is based more on draughtsmanly devices such as linear perspective and foreshortening than on sculptural qualities. Relief permits viewing from five vantage-points (frontal, from above, from below, from left or right). Unlike relief, sculpture that is fulls in the round can be viewed from all vantage-points or angles.