Some surviving paintings of the Greeks can be found on objects such as vases and within the numerous surviving pieces of architecture. Greeks made paint by mixing water, animal fat, and vegetable pigments. Later they began using tempera paint which was made using pigments and egg yolks. Tempera dried very quickly, which made it difficult to use. While tempera paint still exists, it is not made this way anymore.

The Roman civilization grew rapidly after Ancient Greece. Like the Greeks, the Roman art is commonly found in architecture and large monuments, often showing their gods and goddesses. Some Roman paintings can be found, especially in the city of Pompeii where a violent eruption of Mt. Vesuvius buried the city in dirt and ash for hundreds of years.

To the right you see a sculpture titled "Winged Victory of Samothrace," which was found on the island of Samothrace (sam-o-thrase). Like the cave painting, this image is interactive. Take a look at the detail of the sculpture and remember that it is about 2000 years old. This sculpture is currently held at the Louvre in Paris, France.

Ancient Greek and Roman art shared many similarities, especially when considering the formats in which most of the art survives today. However, usually ancient Greek art had god-like men and women in perfect bodies. The Romans were more likely to sculpt or paint individuals with personality. They were not necessarily perfect, as they were normal people. The Romans were very fond of portraiture.