bas-relief

[bah-ri-leef, bas-, bah-ri-leef, bas-]

noun

1. relief sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the background.

bas-relief

/ ˈbæs-, ˈbɑːrɪˌliːf, ˌbɑːrɪˈliːf, ˌbæs- /

noun

1. Also called (Italian): basso rilievo. sculpture in low relief, in which the forms project slightly from the background but no part is completely detached from it

bas-relief

1. A kind of carving or sculpture in which the figures are raised a few inches from a flat background to give a three-dimensional effect. The term is French for “low relief.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bas-relief¹

1660–70; < French, on the model of Italian bassorilievo. basso-relievo, base ², relief ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of bas-relief¹

C17: from French, from Italian basso rilievo low relief; see _base ², _relief