Romans were collectors and admirers of Greek art. Art from Greece was brought
to Rome, copied, and also changed by the Romans. As a result, Roman art is
somewhat based on Greek art. However, Roman art is not merely a continuation of
Greek art. For an amateur it is difficult to determine between the two art forms
because neither the Romans nor the Greeks wrote down the history of their own
art.
The characteristics pertaining to each particular type of art are known to
some extent, so the experts are relatively accurate in determining the
separation of the two types of art. Roman art is divided into four categories:
portrait sculptures, paintings and mosaics, relief sculptures, and statues. Each
of these has its own characteristics. Portrait sculptures, designed by the
Romans, shows the desire of the Romans for literalness; it records even the
homeliest features.
This is demonstrated in the sculpture, Head of A Roman, made of marble in 80
B.C. The artist painstakingly reported each rise and fall and each bulge and
fold of the entire facial surface. It was as if the artist was acting like a map
maker, trying not to miss the slightest detail. The end product was a blunt,
bald record of features. Idealism nor improvement of features was done causing
the feeling of superrealism. Paintings and mosaics were influenced by the
architecture of the Romans .
Their architecture consisted of buildings containing a small number of doors
and windows, thus leaving considerably large stretches of wall space suitable
for decoration. The quality was determined by the importance and the wealth of
the patron. The walls were used for two things in Roman art. First, they were
used as a barrier. Secondly, they were used to visually open the wall and
enhance the space of the room. Only certain colors were used. These were deep
red, yellow, green, violet and black.
Two methods were used to prepare walls for painting. In one, plaster was
compounded with marble dust, then laid directly on the wall in several layers.
It was eventually beaten smooth with a trowel until it became dense. Finally, it
was polished to a marble finish. The wall was then ready to be painted with
water colors or encaustic paints. The other method, called panel painting,
consisted of stucco being applied to boards of cypress, pine, lime, oak, and
larch.
Then water colors, obtained from minerals and animal dyes were applied. The
painting was then mounted to cover a wall. These methods were used throughout
the years to produce paintings. Although the style of the paintings on the walls
changed during the years, the methods used to prepare the walls basically stayed
the same.
There are four styles of painting Incrustation, the first style, was used
from 200 to 60 B.C. Walls were divided into bright polychrome panels of solid
colors with an occasional textural contrast. In the years 60 to 20 B.C. the
second style, the architectural style, was used. This method made a wall look as
if it extended beyond the room, but it wasn't systematically perspective. In the
years 20 B.C. to A.D. 60, the third style, the ornate style, was used.
This method subdivided a wall into a number of panels by means of vertical
and horizontal bands. The fourth and final style of painting took place in
A.D.60 to A.D.79. It was called the intricate style. Each wall contained a great
number of separate paintings not relating to each other.
