Sculpture "Fauno Danzante of Pompeii" (reduction), cast metal

Roman art is primarily determined by the fusion of native Italic and Greek Hellenistic elements.

In architecture, pragmatic and political considerations played a major role in the expansion of the empire.

In the sacral sphere, the early temples of Rome copied the Etrurian-Italic style. The Roman secular buildings, such as bridges, ports, aqueducts, walls, gates, etc., played a far more important role.

With the remodelling of the Forum Romanum by Augustus and the redesign of the Forum of Augustus, the importance of old city centres changed. They became large enclosed outdoor space complexes. Axial symmetry, aligned toward a podium temple, became a defining feature of this period. During the reign of Augustus, temples and theatres were built in the "Eternal City" with increasingly rounded and dynamic forms, departing from the linearity of Greek models.

In sculpture, early Roman works were initially dominated by copies and redesigns of Greek models. However, Roman sculptors made independent contributions in the field of portraiture, where the bust form was particularly favoured. In relief art, there was a strong inclination toward ornamentation while maintaining narrative content.

In painting, triumphal processional paintings honouring victorious generals were a distinctive feature. For mural painting, the cities buried by Mount Vesuvius - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Oplontis - offer the most extensive evidence.

Mosaic art ran parallel to painting and was primarily used for decorative floor and wall designs.

Some areas of minor arts flourished exceedingly in Roman times. Toreutics, the art of metal embossing, produced precious silver vessels. The art of glassblowing is documented by numerous excellent finds. Glyptic (engraving on gemstones) produced magnificent reliefs carved from semi-precious stones, engraved gems and cameos depicting official themes.

The extensive coinage in Roman times contributed to spreading the portraits of rulers across the entire territory of the Roman Empire.

A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.

While sculptures made of wood, ivory, or stone are carved directly from the material block, in bronze casting, a working model is prepared at first. Usually, it is made of clay or other easily mouldable materials.

The prime time of sculpture after the Greek and Roman antiquity was the Renaissance. Impressionism gave a new impulse to the sculptural arts. Contemporary artists such as Jorg Immendorf, Andora, and Markus Lupertz also enriched sculptures with outstanding works.