Roman art historians issued four classifications for Roman art. Each style reflects a new development in artistic styles that followed a chronological trajectory. While some elements of one style can be found in another, each style is distinct. The primary art form was paintings on plaster, or frescoes.
The First Style
The First Style of Roman art emerged in about 200 B.C. and lasted until about 60 B.C. This style is characterized by its exploration of simulating marble on painted plaster, that is, by creating plaster works that resembled marble works. Usually, a wall was divided into three horizontal sections that were crowned with a toothed cornice based on the Doric order of architecture. The decline in this style of art coincided with the colonization of Pompeii in about 80 B.C.
The Second Style
The Second Style of Roman art developed in the early part of the first century B.C. During this time, fresco artists imitated architectural elements through painting. Artists used shading and perspective to suggest recession and progression, and used other trompe l-oeil techniques. A solid example of the Second Style of Roman painting can be found at Boscoreale at the Villa P. Fannius Synistor. During this Style, also, some artists created copies of presumably famous Hellenistic paintings.
The Third Style
The Third Style of Roman painting emerged in the second half of the first century B.C., under the emperor Augustus. Instead of recreating architecture and painting, artists experienced a desire to innovate. Instead of illusions, which characterized the Second Style, the Third Style embraced surface ornamentation. For example, a wall had a solid-colored background, usually red, black or white, that was decorated with elaborate details of figures and lanscapes. A perfect example of this style can be found in the frescoes in Boscotrecase at the Imperial Villa. The Third Style lasted until about 20 A.D.
The Fourth Style
The Fourth Style of Roman art dominated from about 20 until 79. It is characterized by a marked lack of discipline when compared with other styles. In the beginning years of this style, paintings had a textilelike quality, and elements of a wall included large-scale narrative paintings and vistas in warm tones and depicting scenes from mythology. The architectural details of the Third Style remained throughout the Fourth Style.
