basrelie

Bas-relief, also written as basrelief, is a sculpture technique in which figures and forms are created on a solid background and project only slightly from it. The term comes from the French bas, meaning “low,” combined with relief. In bas-relief the sculpted elements have shallow depth, with light and shadow defined by gradual changes in contour rather than by pronounced, full three-dimensional form.

In the broader category of relief sculpture, bas-relief contrasts with high relief (haut-relief), where figures stand out more prominently from the background. A related method is sunk relief, where the background is carved away so the figures sit lower than the surrounding plane. Bas-relief can be executed in various materials, including stone, plaster, metal, wood, and modern composites, and is widely used for architectural decoration, tablets, friezes, and narrative panels.

Historically, bas-relief has ancient roots in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, where it decorated temple walls, tombs, and public monuments. It remained popular through medieval and Renaissance periods for architectural programs and commemorative works, and it continues to be used in contemporary sculpture and coin design.

Notable uses include architectural friezes on classical temples and the shallow reliefs of Egyptian and Mesopotamian monuments. Today bas-relief remains a versatile method for telling stories and conveying imagery on vertical surfaces, combining sculptural form with architectural context.