DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68796#0143
chap, i Elements of effect in Sculpture 123
beginning of painting, but if on the contrary it is rounded
off towards the bottom of the groove, so as in any way to
indicate the thickness of the object represented, then, how-
ever slight the relief thus produced, the result is a piece of
plastic art. From this point more and more roundness and
modelling can be added to the relief, while on his part the
graphic artist can go on adding within the original outline
as much light and shade and colour as he pleases. A
certain graphic character will however always belong to the
relief even when boldly modelled. The subject tells out
primarily as a surface within a definite outline ; and this
surface is directly presented to the eye as in the graphic
art. The third dimension or thickness of the object, on the
other hand, is in relief-work only partially represented, not
fully, as in sculpture in the round. Actual depth is shown,
but not to the full extent required, the rest having to be
made up by suggestion. In other words the third dimen-
sion of space is in relief sculpture expressed to some extent
by a convention. The particular conventions of low and
high relief by which the impression of solid form in its full
depth is conveyed to the eye, together with certain points
in the management of light-and-shade specially applicable
to relief-work, will be noticed in the chapter on sculpture
(§§ 163 fif.), and need not further concern us here.
§ 82. The forms presented in Sculpture.
The solid forms presented to us in sculpture are such
as we can handle and embrace, and waken in us all the
associations we have been accustomed to connect with
shapes in nature which may be touched and clasped. Such
being the case, the question suggests itself whether or not
sculpture addresses itself actually, as well as ideally and
through association, to the sense of touch jointly with the
beginning of painting, but if on the contrary it is rounded
off towards the bottom of the groove, so as in any way to
indicate the thickness of the object represented, then, how-
ever slight the relief thus produced, the result is a piece of
plastic art. From this point more and more roundness and
modelling can be added to the relief, while on his part the
graphic artist can go on adding within the original outline
as much light and shade and colour as he pleases. A
certain graphic character will however always belong to the
relief even when boldly modelled. The subject tells out
primarily as a surface within a definite outline ; and this
surface is directly presented to the eye as in the graphic
art. The third dimension or thickness of the object, on the
other hand, is in relief-work only partially represented, not
fully, as in sculpture in the round. Actual depth is shown,
but not to the full extent required, the rest having to be
made up by suggestion. In other words the third dimen-
sion of space is in relief sculpture expressed to some extent
by a convention. The particular conventions of low and
high relief by which the impression of solid form in its full
depth is conveyed to the eye, together with certain points
in the management of light-and-shade specially applicable
to relief-work, will be noticed in the chapter on sculpture
(§§ 163 fif.), and need not further concern us here.
§ 82. The forms presented in Sculpture.
The solid forms presented to us in sculpture are such
as we can handle and embrace, and waken in us all the
associations we have been accustomed to connect with
shapes in nature which may be touched and clasped. Such
being the case, the question suggests itself whether or not
sculpture addresses itself actually, as well as ideally and
through association, to the sense of touch jointly with the