The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c9.144

v1.c9.144

**Relief :** The great bulk of the sculptures in Orissa are in low relief, showing from one-eighth to one-fourth of the round. Some are in high relief or *alti-rilievi*, representing more than three-fourths of the round attached to a background; while a few are entirely round. Most of the figures of gods are of the last description. On friezes the nature and exigencies of architecture do not admit of other than *bassi-rilievi*, the highest [65] parts of the different figures being on one level; but in niches both attached and isolated figures are arranged on different levels and heights, so as to secure such a distribution of light and shade as to produce some amount of aerial perspective. This trait bespeaks of a considerable advance in the theory and practice of the plastic art, which the Egyptians and the Assyrians never reached. Among the Greeks too, says Dr. Lübke, "the relief is restricted to one uniform level, and to the representation of only two figures side by side".⁵⁷