The Romans got ideas for their art from many countries. Their ideas came from Greece. The Romans did not feel the same way about art as the Greeks, though.

Around 2,200 years ago, the Romans took over Greece. They started to copy Greek art. But the Romans thought art should be useful. Rulers used it to show how great they were. Art was used to tell about great battles. People used art to decorate themselves and their houses.

The main kinds of Roman art were painting, architecture, sculpture, and mosaic. There were also other forms of art like pottery and coins.

Paintings were often of landscapes. They looked real. The paintings showed how things seem smaller when they are farther away. Still life paintings were of objects like shells and fruit. Painters also made portraits and pictures of popular activities.

Wall painting was popular. Walls were painted so that they looked like marble panels. Sometimes, decorations were painted on these panels, too. Other times, scenes were painted on the wall. Then it looked like there was a window or another room there.

Romans used different kinds of materials for sculpture. Sometimes they used clay and then painted it. Other times they used marble mixed with other kinds of stone. Some sculptures showed scenes from history. Others sculptures were of people. Early sculptures of people looked very real. Later, faces were more important. Bodies did not look as real.

Much of what we know about ancient Rome comes from its art.