ound, while the footlights
may stand for the surface of your wood. In illustration of this
principle, let me call your attention to the arrangement of the animals
in Plate VI, where economy of space, and a desire to display each detail
to advantage, are the leading motives. I give it as the readiest example
to hand, and because it fairly illustrates the principle in question.
You must excuse the apparent vanity in making choice of one of my own
works to exemplify a canon of art. The sheep at the top is supposed to
be scampering over rocks; the ram below may be any distance from the
sheep that you choose to imagine--the only indication of relative
position is _separation_, by means of a ridge that may pass for a rock.
The head of the ram is somewhat foreshortened, but there was enough
thickness of wood contained in the big mass of the body to allow of
this being done in the smaller mass of the head, without leaving too
much to be supposed. The heads of the sheep in the fold have been as
closely packed as was consistent with showing as much of each as
possible, as it was considered better to give the whole head and no body
than to show only a part of both: most of the bodies, therefore, are
supposed to be hidden behind the wall, only one showing in part.

It is a general axiom of the craft, that every mass (be it body or leaf)
must be made as complete in itself as the circumstances will allow; but,
if partly hidden, the concealment should be wilful, and without
ambiguity. Thus, a dog's head may be rightly carved as being partly
hidden in a bucket, but ought not to be covered by another head if it is
possible to avoid it.

CHAPTER XXII

UNDERCUTTING AND "BUILT-UP" WORK

Undercutting as a Means and as an End; its Use and
Abuse--"Built-up" Work--"Planted" Work--"Pierced" Work.

By undercutting is meant the cutting away of the solid portions of
projections in such a manner as to make them invisible, thus throwing
the carved surface work into more complete relief by detaching it from
the background. This device has often been carried so far, where the
projection was sufficient, that entire groups of figures and foliage
have been practically detached from the background, like pieces of
separate sculpture carved all round. This desire for completeness of
relief was more or less a departure from the orthodox aims of the
carvers' craft, and led ultimately to what is known as "built-up"
work--that is to sa