noun
or al·to-ri·lie·vo |al(ˌ)tōrēˈlē(ˌ)vō; |äl(ˌ)tōrēlˈyā-, -ye-
( plural alto-relievos -vōz ; or alto-rilie·vi |äl(ˌ)tōrēlˈyā(ˌ)vē, -ye-)
Etymology: Italian alto rilievo
1. : high relief
adorned with columns and trophies in alto-relievo — Tobias Smollett
2. : a sculpture executed in high relief ; especially : a relief sculpture in which anatomical details (as arms or legs) are undercut so that, in part, they are detached from the background
an alto-relievo by an unknown sculptor
— opposed to basso-relievo