What is a high relief sculpture?

Relief is a sculptural technique in which the carved elements remain attached to the solid background of the same material. There is a strong creativity in this plane background. Whether it is copying or creating a brand-new relief sculpture, in addition to the craftsmanship, the sculptural material is also an important role for the impression raised above the background plane.

High relief is generally more than half or more of the extended background plane and projected from the background of a large number of sculptured figures or things. Indeed, high relief is the most prominent element in the composition of the entire flat background. 

The most prominent elements on the characters, especially the head and limbs, are often completely flat in the opposite direction, making them separate from the background flat site. We can observe with the naked eye that in the animal relief, part of the carved curve returns to the background to create space such as horse relief. 

The high-relief sculpture allows us to strongly feel the wonderful artistic combination of observing shadows and overlaps, and the object seems to be projected out of the surface. These characteristics can be seen in this relief, which is an essential feature of a high relief.

In all cultures and periods, large-scale sculptures use this high-relief feature to highlight the unique beauty of sculpture and craftsmanship. From ancient times to the present, it has existed in monumental sculptures and buildings.