low relief
low relief — noun
1. a method of carving or modelling in which the shapes stand out only a small amou
a method of carving or modelling in which the shapes stand out only a small amount from the flat background surface — used especially in art, architecture, and coin-making, where the figures feel shallow rather than fully three-dimensional.
Maeve admired the ancient temple's low relief carvings of dancers and musicians.
attributive use: low relief carvings
The museum displayed a low relief portrait of the emperor carved in white marble.
low relief portrait / carved in [material]
Unlike full statues, low relief figures remain attached to the background surface.
Students in the art class tried modelling low relief scenes from local village life.
The old stone panels show low relief flowers and vines running along the church wall.
- bas-relief
the French-derived term for the same technique; 'bas-relief' is slightly more common in art-historical writing, while 'low relief' is the English calque.
- high relief
figures stand out more than half their depth from the background; 'low relief' is the opposite on the depth spectrum.
用法筆記
Low relief is also called bas-relief (from French). It contrasts with high relief, where figures stand out more deeply from the background. Often used attributively (e.g. 'low relief carving', 'low relief panel').