Roman painters master a naturalistic approach to painting

Although the Greeks are documented as having created naturalistic paintings, few of these works survive. It is in Roman examples that we find the first visual evidence for a highly naturalistic style that will become such an important part of the Western tradition of painting.

Roman artists owed a great debt to the Greeks. They inherited a dynamic and sophisticated approach to art from them, as well as techniques and styles that continue to have an impact on art and architecture to the present day. Painting in a natural style was by no means a Roman invention. In the late fifth century bce the celebrated Greek artist Zeuxis challenged his rival Parrhasius to see which of them could produce the most natural painting. Zeuxis painted a bunch of grapes so realistic birds tried to peck at them. Triumphantly, Zeuxis turned to his rival and invited him to draw back the curtain from his painting. His joy turned to despondency, however, when he realized that the curtain itself was a painting. Gloomily, he was forced to admit defeat. Sadly, no paintings by either artist have survived. However, the Romans certainly saw, and were highly influenced by, such works.

Painting was a popular and well-respected art form in Roman times. They produced both murals and panel paintings, although virtually none of the latter has survived. The wall paintings feature a broad range of subjects, from historical and mythological subjects to still lives, landscapes, and portraits. To modern eyes, some of the most striking Roman paintings are still lives of fruit and other food. These have freshness and a feeling for detail that would not be matched until the golden age of Dutch painting, 1,600 years later. When Greek artists had painted similar subjects of still life, they were dismissed as low art. Piraeicus, a specialist in this field, was given the nickname Rhyparographos, or "painter of sordid subjects." Roman taste was far more relaxed and still life developed into an important art form.

5 Still Life with Peach Bough and Glass Jar

Artist unknown, c. ce 50