What is bas-relief?

Bas-relief is a French term meaning ‘low-raised work.’ A relief is a sculptured artwork where a modelled form is raised. There are three types of reliefs – ‘bas-relief ’ or low relief, ‘high relief ’ and ‘sunken relief.’ Bas-relief is suitable for scenes with many figures and other elements such as a landscape or architectural background. Stone carving and metal casting is traditionally done in bas-relief.