French word

bas-relief

Pronunciation

IPA/baʁəljɛf/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlow relief

Example

Nous avons vu un bas-relief au musée.

We saw a low relief at the museum.

Illustration for bas-relief (low relief)

More examples

J'aime photographier un bas-relief quand je visite une ville.

I like photographing a bas-relief when I visit a city.

Core concept

A shallow sculpted scene that rises gently from a flat background.

Common phrases

  • voir un bas-relief

    see a bas-relief

  • photographier un bas-relief

    photograph a bas-relief

Similar words

relief: A decorative sculpture or pattern applied to a flat surface and slightly raised from it.
sculpture: A three-dimensional artwork made by carving or assembling materials.

Definition in French

Sculpture dont les motifs sont légèrement en relief par rapport au plan de fond, sans saillie marquée.

Word origin

French bas-relief comes from Italian basso rilievo, meaning 'low relief', with basso 'low' and rilievo 'relief'.

Usage tips

  • The noun is masculine: un bas-relief, with bas-reliefs in the plural.

Opposites

  • haut-reliefhigh reliefnoun

Word lists with this word