Final answer:
The statement is false; intaglio is a printmaking technique where the design is etched into a surface, which is different from relief printing where the design is raised above the background.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that intaglio is the most basic form of relief painting is false. Intaglio is a type of printmaking technique where the image is incised into a surface, and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink. This differs significantly from relief printing, where the image to be printed is raised above the background surface. In relief printmaking, techniques such as woodcuts and linocuts are used, where the parts of the matrix that are to remain ink-free are cut away, leaving the image to be printed at the original surface level.
Engraving, an intaglio process, has been used historically for the intricate designs cut into metal armor and was often the predominant method for creating images before the advent of mechanical reproduction methods in the 19th century. On the other hand, relief painting and sculpture can involve methods like high relief, where figures significantly project from their background, and low relief or bas-relief, where the projection is much subtler.