BAS-RELIEF, bi're-lef' (in Italian, bas so-rilievo, or low relief), as applied to sculp ture, a representation of one or more figures, raised on a flat surface or background, in such a manner, however, as that no part of them shall be entirely detached from it. Alto-rilievo, or high relief, is that in which the figures pro ject half of their apparent circumference from the background. Mezzo-filial°, or middle re lief, is a third species, between the two. But generally speaking, the first term is made to comprehend both the others. The term itself was invented in Italy about the 11th or 12th century on the arrival of the arts; for the Greeks called such works simply carved (ana glypta); and to what is now called high relief they only applied the term rounded (toreutiki).
Bas-relief is particularly allied to architec ture and under its dominion, since any consid erable work of this kind must be made for the pediment, frieze or panel of a building, or for some other architectural work, such as a tomb, sarcophagus, pedestal or column. Bas-reliefs seem to have been invented in the earliest ages by the Egyptian people, for very many of their ancient monuments are covered with them, be ing executed in the same way as the hiero glyphics on their sepulchral chambers, obelisks and temples. This has been finely illustrated by the drawings and models of the tomb of Sethi I, originally discovered near the ancient Thebes by Belzoni, and which has since become familiar to many persons; all the walls of that extraordinary excavation being covered with thousands of figures in low relief, colored, and exhibiting the religious and warlike ceremonies of that wonderful people. Bas-reliefs, too, are found in India, decorating the subterraneous temples of Ellora and Elephants in an aston ishing profusion. The subjects are, of course, sacred, and in the style of drawing resemble very strongly those of the Egyptian monu ments, but are evidently inferior, having larger heads and disproportioned bodies and limbs. Both these temples have been well illustrated and described by Thomas Daniell, RA., and Captain Scaley; and for further information their respective works may be consulted. The Persians, too, like other ancient nations, em ployed bas-relief as a figured writing, thereby recording.and representing the symbols of the power and energy of the Divinity, their owh re ligious ceremonies and warlike achievements. The sculptures still existing on the ruins of the palace of Persepolis and the royal tombs accord in many striking particulars with those taken to England by In both the figures are arranged in lines, either horizontal or per pendicular, to suit the double purpose of deco ration and description. In both of them the natives of Egypt are distinguished by the hood with lappets, the mitre, the full hair artificially curled, the close tunic, the apron of papyrus; the Hindus, by the necklaces, bracelets and anklets; the Hebrews, by their long beards and hair in spiral ringlets, their caps, full tunics, with regular folds and large sleeves; the Medes, again, by their close tunics; while the Persians themselves, in many particulars, re semble the Hebrews. The comparison may be
easily made by looking over the prints in Sir Robert Ker 'Porter's 'Travels in Persia,> and those in Le Bruyn's 'Travels,' and then the engravings of Denon's and Belzoni's large works.
Since it has been well observed that the Greeks commenced in works of art precisely where the Egyptians left off, we find that the early bas-reliefs of Greece resemble pretty accurately those of Egypt. The objects are represented in the same hard and simple man ner, and the marbles taken to England from the temple of /Egina serve to fill up the his tory of sculpture, in the interval between its first introduction into Greece and its full de velopment under Phidias at Athens, when that glorious work, the Parthenon, was produced under The auspices of Pericles.
The draperies in these early bas-reliefs are thin and meagre, showing the forms of the body and limbs; the folds regular, small and distinct, consisting chiefly of perpendicular and zigzag lines. Some of the head-dresses consist of small curls, very like the fashions of barbarous nations; •and in a bronze' patera in the British Museum the club of Hercules is ornamented with spiral flutes, like one brought by Captain Cook from the Sandwich Islands.
The best examples of has-relief now in ex istence are to he found within the walls of the British Museum—those of the Elgin marbles, which are executed in this manner. In the same collection are the tombstones of Xanthippus, and a man curbing a horse, both conjectured to be of the age of Phidias and which formed part of the Townley collec tion. In the collection of the Marquis of Lansdowne is a Greek bas-relief of Calchas, the size of life. At Wilton there is a beautiful representation of the 'Death of Meleager,> and a small but curious 'Hercules and /Egli); a bas-relief composed of mosaic in natural colors which is supposed to be unique. The celebrated Barberini vase, formerly in the possession of the Duke of Portland, is of dark-blue glass, bearing figures in bas-relief of white enamel. or glass of admirable workmanship. Fragments of bas-reliefs of similar materials 'have been found in the ruin of Czsar's palace at Rome, where they had been fixed in the walls. The two triumphal columns of Tra,ian and Anto nine are covered with bas-rehefs containing several thousand figures (the first, indeed, has Z500 human figures, according to Vasi), withs out reciconing horses, elephants, mules and the implements of war.