Sculpture in which the images have been carved or modeled on a surface so as to stand out from the background. Because it cannot be viewed from all sides, relief sculpture is distinct from sculpture in the round. Relief sculpture can be described as high relief or low relief, depending on how far it projects from its background.

Relief sculpture from the Altar of Augustan Peace, Rome. Carrara marble. 13-9 BCE. Museo dell’Ara Pacis, Rome.