Relief Sculpture
In plastic art, relief sculpture is known as any work that projects out of a surface, such as a wall or background that is carved. Reliefs are classified into subcategories based on how high the figure projects from the background itself. Also known as relievo, relief sculpture is meant to be a combination of 2D pictorial arts and 3D sculptural arts. A relief, similar to a picture, depends on a background surface which must be extended on a plane to be visible. A relief also has the ability to show three dimensionality like a proper sculpture.
Reliefs are usually more common that freestanding sculpture for a multitude of reasons. A relief sculpture can portray a wider range of subjects than a statue from its economy of resources. Take for instance, a battle scene. If sculpted in the round, it would require a significantly huge amount of space and material. With relief, it can be rendered a ton easier. Second, reliefs are attached to their background surface, so problems involving weight or physical balance are not a worry. In statues, weight and balance can be critical to the survival of the work. Third, reliefs are carved directly on the surface they are made, meaning they are suitable for architectural projects in a decorative and narrative function.
In historical terms, the advent of relief sculpture was marked by wings in between pictorial and sculptural dominance. For instance, in Greek art, reliefs are more like contracted sculpture than expanded images. Figured tend to take up space which is defined by its own solid form and its only limit is the size of the background plane. The background plane is meant to serve as a finite impenetrable barrier for where the figure exists. In comparison, Renaissance relief sculpture makes the full use in terms of perspective. This pictorial method of 3D spatial relationships on a 2D surface coincides with fine art painting.
Some exemplary works in relief sculpture can be viewed here:
In conclusion, reliefs may be abstract in style as well as representational or figurative. Reliefs, whether geometric or curvilinear, have been found in many cultures, such as Ancient Greece, Celts, Mexico, the Vikings, and Islam. This sort of representative and figurative sculpture was and continues to be strongly associated with Greeks, Romans, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and European sculpture from the Renaissance forward.
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