An In-Depth Look atBas-Relief

Debra A. MurphyEdu 703

Professor SmithFebruary 14, 2011

Definition…..

Ñ Relief: A Sculptured Art Work

Ñ Bas-Relief: Also known as Low Relief – shallow in depth as opposed to high relief or alto relievo or sunken relief also know as hollow relief.

High Relief (deep carving)

Bas-Relief (shallow carving)

Hollow Relief – Carved into flat surface

Or…..

A French term from the Italian basso-relievo ("low relief"), bas relief is a sculpture technique in which figures and/or other design elements are just barely more prominent than the (overall flat) background.

Theodore Roosevelt in Bas Relief

Egyptian Pharaoh in Bas Relief

Technique….Bas relief is created either by:

• carving away material (wood, stone, ivory, jade, etc.)

•adding material to the top of an otherwise smooth surface (say, strips of clay to stone).

Copper Bas Relief

Ivory Bas Relief

Wood Bas Relief….

Wood Bas-Relief Sculpture Bas-relief by sculptor Bekoin Kouame depicting the legend of the queen Abla Poku. Her sacrifice of her only child allowed her subjects to cross the Comoe river with dry feet and so to escape the armies of the Ashanti king.

Ivory Bas Relief….

18th-Century Ivory Plaque Depicting the Coronation of Catherine I

Bronze Bas Relief….

Detail of Crowd from Moses Receiving the Tablets of the Law by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Deeper cuts indicate higher relief

Many reliefs contain both bas and high features

High Relief indicated by deep carving

Bas Relief indicated by shallow carving

Bas Relief is not specific to any one culture…..

This is a technique as old as humankind's artistic explorations, and is closely related to high relief.

Some cuts here are reminiscent of Hollow Relief

Italian Reliefs…

Italian Nobility in MarbleNice shallow cuts in the Marble make this an exquisite example of Bas Relief

Detail of Crowd from Moses Receiving the Tablets of the Law by Lorenzo Ghiberti Detail shows the fourth panel down from top, on the left side of the door.

Note the intricate detailing of the fabric.

Deeper cutting in some areas

Indian Reliefs…

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Bagmati Zone, Bhaktapur, detail of a door

Intricate detailing mixed with deeper cutting of figures.

Painted details on the Lotus Gate of the Pitam Niwas Chowk, the inner courtyard of the City Palace, Jaipur, India. The City Palace was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur and was built between 1729 and 1732.

Color adds to the depth of this Indian Bas Relief and illuminates facial expression

The complex detailing on this Indian statuary combines sculpture with bas relief.

North Torana at the Great Stupa at Sanchi

Greek Reliefs…

Archaic Greek Relief with Two Wrestlers A carved marble relief depicts wrestlers at the National Archealogical Museum in Athens, Greece

IMPORTANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY AT EVA (GREECE)IMAGE:

Shallow detailing of an ancient bas relief

Egyptian Reliefs…

Relief of Ramose from the Tomb of Ramose Detail of a relief from the Tomb of Ramose, Governor of Thebes, TT 55 in the Tombs of the Nobles at Thebes. Ramose was Governor of Thebes and Vizier during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Akhenaten. His tomb is very important because it is one of the largest tombs of a noble in west bank of Luxor.

The detailing of the wig is an impressive display of bas relief

Egyptian Bas-Reliefs Painted bas-reliefs on the exterior of an Egyptian building

Although the cuts are shallow on this Egyptian relief the depth of the color adds dimension

Asian Reliefs…

Stone carvings on the wall of Angkor Wat, Camobia

Delicate Bird Carvings

Chinese Palm Trees in Bronze

Coloration of Bronze casts a shadow that provides added depth to the relief

Japanese Bas Relief owned by the Erotica Museum in Berlin

Curvature of the sculpting adds to the fluid appearance of the figures and whimsical facial expressions.

Celtic Bas Relief…Most well know examples are the Celtic Crosses

Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise

Architectural Example of Irish Bas - Relief

Architectural Sculpture on St. Declan's CathedralRelief sculpture on the exterior west gable of St. Declan's Cathedral depicts scenes of Adam and Eve, the Judgment of Solomon and the Adoration of the Magi.

Contemporary Bas-Relief….

Art Deco Architecture

Contemporary Bas-Relief in Concrete…

Tiles by Daniel Ogassian

Ceramic Tile…

Tiles by Daniel Ogassian

Pas de Deux – Erte’

And Fine Art….

Caryl Levy Installation Art

Insa Bas Relief Tile for “Squarity”

Happy Valentines Day

Note: I actually connected to of these images and used 3 D treatment to create the corner.