What is stiacciato?

Stiacciato, also known as "squashed" or "flattened" relief, is a sculptural technique used in Italian Renaissance art to create a low-relief effect on a surface. This technique involves pressing the sculptural elements onto a flat surface to create a shallow relief. The surface is then finished with fine tooling to create a smooth, polished finish. Stiacciato was prominently used by Italian sculptor Donatello in the early 15th century and is still used today in art and architectural design.