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When we talk of line in sculpture we may be referring to a number of different things. Most obvious is the use of linear marks 'engraved' into the surface. These can be used to describe detail of the form being represented, or to create surface patterns. Line in sculpture may also refer to the outline or contour of a work which relates to its overall shape or form, discussed on the next page.

right figures from the west facade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Chartres, France, 1260.