How Did Roman Sculpture Differ

Rome brought many architectural innovations to the world, and their art influenced art for many centuries. Roman art includes architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work. In this short Learning Journal I will discuss how did the purpose of the sculpture and painting of Rome differ.

Roman sculpture was heavily influenced by Greek sculpture. In fact, many of the Roman sculptures were just copies of Greek sculptures. But the Roman sculpture was created to serve a purpose: namely, to impress the public - to communicate the power and majesty of Rome. Sculpture on Roman buildings could be merely decorative or have a more political purpose, for example, on triumphal arches the architectural sculpture captured in detail key military events