Romans became expert sculptors. They were greatly influenced by the Greeks. However, Roman sculpture was more influenced by realism than Greek sculpture, and it was the Romans who developed portrait sculpture, making facial features realistic. They did not look for physical perfection as the Greeks did. This type of sculpture was used as a way of paying homage to public officials, philosophers, generals and rulers. These busts were placed in public places, and they first appeared around 75 B.C. Romans also became experts in relief sculpture, another art form influenced by the Greeks. However, where the Greeks used reliefs to pay homage to the gods, the Romans used them to commemorate military victories. Reliefs were placed on altars, arches and columns.
Most of the remaining samples of ancient Roman painting are in mural or fresco form. This is a type of painting where a plaster finish is applied to a wall, and then a scene, still life or geometrical painting is applied. There are historical references to painting on ivory and on wood, but none of these have survived through time. What samples we do have are frescoes used in the interiors of private homes and public buildings. It was the Romans who perfected the tromp l'oeil painting style, creating vivid scenes of everyday Roman life, wonderful still-life images, landscapes, representations of family life and of porticos, hills, and pools. Very few Roman paintings remain, and many that do were preserved in the remains of Pompeii in southern Italy. The most important contribution the Romans made to the painting world was the artistic rendering of realistic landscapes and the integration of perspective into landscapes.
Mosaic art was another form the Romans took from the Greeks. using it on floors, walls and ceilings. It depicted geometric patterns, beautiful mythological scenes, and even scenes of everyday life. Samples of Roman mosaic work have been found in every region of the Roman Empire, and works have survived from many different Roman periods.