Portraits were used throughout the Roman Republic and Roman Empire as propaganda and prominent self-display. Portraiture was used for funerary purposes, military achievements and by senators for propaganda. In Rome, family ancestry was a huge component of one's success, so having sculptures produced with one's lineage was vastly important. Portraits appeared in sculpture, painting, mosaics and on coins.
Paintings from the Roman Republic and Empire focused upon many different subjects and evolved within both periods. The subject that commonly appears in wall paintings from both periods is architecture. During the Republic, artists copied architectural forms into wall paintings via wet plaster. Under Augustus' reign, architectural details in paintings were elaborated.
Architecture in the Roman Republic and Empire was incredibly important. Not only used for functional purposes, architecture in Rome represented power and wealth. Amphitheaters, basilicas and temples all represented the power of Rome. Architectural constructions were designed by influential artists who utilized innovative ideas for their buildings. Later in the Empire, triumphal arches were commonly constructed for military achievements and amphitheaters increased in size and use, which is clearly outlined through the Colosseum. Architectural innovations used by the Romans continue to be present in architecture in the Western world.
Mosaics were common art pieces in ancient Rome. Made from small pieces of glass or stone, mosaics were created in the Roman Republic and Empire and depicted abstract shapes, historical persons or mythological scenes. Typically only people of substantial wealth, such as businessmen, senators or patricians were able to have mosaics in their homes. Fortunately, mosaics have been recovered at the site of Pompeii, which was buried by volcanic ash in 79 A.D. The recovered mosaics allow scholars to glimpse the sheer cost and energy of creating mosaics in the Roman world.