1. **Sculpture in the round**: A sculptural form composed of three-dimensional entities that occupy space and resemble the subject they represent. It is a tangible, visible entity that can be perceived from all visible angles. Typically devoid of a background, it creates a unified artistic effect through its own imagery and coordination with the surrounding environment, using concentrated, concise, and summarized expressions to move viewers. Placed in environments viewable from all sides, it also exists in forms constrained by religious reasons or spatial limitations, such as the Buddha statues and niches in grottoes and temples.
2. **Bas-relief**: A sculptural form with a single visible face, typically constructed as a compressed, three-dimensional entity anchored to a base. The relief maintains the proportional scale of the base's length and width while reducing the depth of the forms. Compressing principles follow proportional rules of nearness to height (thickness) and distance to lowness (thinness), creating the illusion of larger forms within limited spatial constraints.
The base serves as a background to enhance spatial depth. Bas-reliefs are categorized by compression intensity into **high relief**, **low relief**, and **thin relief**: - **High relief**: Thick forms with minimal compression (e.g., *La Marseillaise* in Paris, the Tang Dynasty’s *Six Horses of the Mausoleum*). - **Low relief**: Thin forms with significant compression (e.g., Egyptian temple reliefs, *The Imperial and Empress Procession* in Longmen Grottoes). - **Thin relief**: Nearly flat forms, often used for medals, commemorative coins, and background treatments in general reliefs. 3. **Through-relief**: A sculptural form derived from bas-relief by carving out the background, blending features of both sculpture in the round and bas-relief. It is further divided into **single-faced** and **double-faced** reliefs based on artistic effect.
**Classification by Content**: - **Monumental/Narrative Sculptures**: Commemorative works highlighting historical figures or events. - **Environmental Sculptures**:
- **City Sculptures**: Large outdoor installations reflecting urban identity, history, or aesthetics.
- **Garden Sculptures**: Decorative pieces in parks or natural settings, depicting local history, mythology, or flora/fauna.
- **Monuments and Commemorative Sculptures**: Grand, permanent works in memorial buildings honoring historical events or figures. - **Indoor Sculptures**:
- **Museum/Exhibition Sculptures**: Medium-sized, movable pieces displayed in galleries or public spaces.
