How to Compare Greek & Roman Art

The Parthenon in Athens is one of the crowning achievements of Greek architecture.

It is often difficult to differentiate Ancient Greek and Roman art. This is mostly due to the fact that the Romans highly revered Greek art, and frequently imitated it. However, there are some distinguishing characteristics between the two styles.

Sculpture

Greek sculpture focused on the perfection of forms, especially humans. They even created guidelines for measurements of various parts of the body. On the other hand, Roman sculpture was more inclined toward realism of forms. The one element Romans added to sculpture was portraiture.

Architecture

Greek architecture, like sculpture, was primarily concerned with geometric perfection. Doric and Ionic columns were the main styles used. The Romans typically utilized arches in their architecture, and tended to display Corinthian columns.

Motivations

Greek artists were mostly interested in representing the perfection of the natural world. The mathematics and precision of Greek art reflects the order of the universe as they interpreted it. The Romans, however, were far more interested in political propaganda. They wanted to reflect the beliefs and attitudes of the leaders of their times.

References

• Loggia: Republican Sculpture - An Introduction
• Ancient Greece
• Helium: Comparing ancient Roman and Greek art
• History of art: the Western tradition, Horst Woldemar Janson & Anthony F. Janson, 2003