High relief (also haut-relief) is sculpture in which the depicted figures project strongly from the background, usually more than half of their natural depth. Parts may even come away completely from the ground, while the whole remains attached to the background.
Difference from other reliefs
- Bas-relief (low relief) — the figures project only slightly from the surface; shallow carving
- Half relief (demi-relief) — about half the depth projects
- High relief (haut-relief) — the figures project far out, with deep shadow
- Free-standing sculpture — entirely detached from a background (no longer a relief)
Because of the great depth, high relief gives a strong play of light and shade and an almost three-dimensional impression.
Application
- Façades and gables — in tympana, above portals and on friezes of monumental buildings
- Churches and funerary monuments — figurative scenes and statues of saints
- Ornamentation — as a defining part of the façade decoration
It is carved from natural stone, cast in concrete or bronze, or modelled in stucco.
Related terms
- Relief
- Bas-relief
- Haut-relief
- Ornament
- Frieze
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