Relief

For other uses, see Relief (disambiguation).

Centaur from the pediment of Parthenon

A relief is a sculptured artwork where the form is modeled out from a flat background.

Reliefs are a common type of artwork found around the world, to decorate important buildings, such as temples.

The frieze in the classical Corinthian order is often enriched with bas-relief (low relief). Alto-relievo (high-relief) may been seen in the pediments of classical temples, e.g. the Parthenon. Reliefs can be used for a single scene, or ordered into a narrative. They can be very detailed to the extent that even tensed musculature itself may be seen.

Types of relief

Roman Hetaera, Relief, around 2nd century, Head is missing

Several types of relief are commonly used and defined, although, in all cases the images must attach to the background.

Famous reliefs

Famous examples of reliefs include:

• Great Altar of Pergamon, now at the Pergamon Museum, Berlin
• Lions and dragons from the Ishtar Gate, Babylon
• Temple of Karnak in Egypt
• Angkor Wat in Cambodia
• Lion Capital of Asoka, the national symbol of India
• glyphs and artwork of the Maya civilization
• The monument to the Confederacy at Stone Mountain, Georgia
• Borobudur temple, Java, Indonesia
• The Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon now housed at the British Museum.
• The representation of Monticello on a US nickel.

Gallery

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  Greek couple in high relief

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  Palmyra Figure in British Museum

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  Persian relief from Qajar era in the style of Persepolis, located at Tangeh Savashi.

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  Angels from Clonfert Cathedral, Co Galway, Ireland (adjusted to highlight relief)