bronze A metal alloy composed of copper and tin that is ideally suited for casting sculptures.   carving A subtractive method of creating sculpture in which the material is cut or chipped away to form the object. Hard, solid materials such as stone or wood are often used.   cast A sculpture produced with a mold.   casting The process of making sculpture by pouring a liquid material into a mold.   chisel A sharp-edged tool used to cut and shape wood, stone, or other solid materials used for sculptures.   clay An earthly material, often found near riverbeds, that is easily pliable when moist but becomes very hard when dry. Used for sculpture and ceramics.   composition The arrangement of artistic elements that forms the unified whole.   enlargement A sculpture that has been reproduced in a larger size from the original model.   foundry A workshop where sculptures are cast.   freestanding Sculpture that does not derive from a background plane and is completely three-dimensional (the opposite of "relief").   lost-wax casting A process of creating a cast by replacing a wax model within the mold with bronze so that the wax will be "lost", leaving the bronze cast as the finished product.   maquette A small model made by a sculptor as a preparation for a larger finished work.   medium A material or technique with which an artist works.   modeling Making a sculpture using a soft, flexible substance such as clay or wax.   mold A hollow form that takes the negative shape of the sculpture that is being cast.   monument A sculptural structure erected as a memorial to a person or an event, etc.   monumental Of outstanding size or significance; serving as a monument.   patina Originally meaning a greenish film on the surface of old bronze caused by oxidation. Also used to describe a chemical substance added to a sculpture for color, in order to achieve an intentional aesthetic effect.   plaster A pasty composition of water, lime, and sand that hardens when dry. Used for making molds, casts, and for coating surfaces of sculpture.   reduction A sculpture that has been reproduced on a smaller scale.   relief A type of sculpture in which the subject is carved or modeled from a flat background plane–not completely three-dimensional. Characterized by the projection of the relief– bas, mezzo and alto (low, medium, and high).   Salon Exhibition of painting and sculpture held yearly in Paris under the aegis of the French Royal Academy. Its origins date back to 1667, but it reached its highest point during the eighteenth-century.   sculpture The art or practice of creating three-dimensional forms or figures.   sketch Preliminary drawing created as a prelude to the final composition.   study A detailed representation of a composition, made so that the artist can achieve accuracy in the final artwork.