The study of Roman sculpture is complicated by its relation to Greek sculpture. Many examples of even the most famous Greek sculptures, such as the Apollo Belvedere and Barberini Faun, are known only from Roman Imperial or Hellenistic "copies". At one time, this imitation was taken by art historians as indicating a narrowness of the Roman artistic imagination, but, in the late 20th century, Roman art began to be reevaluated on its own terms: some impressions of the nature of Greek sculpture may in fact be based on Roman artistry.

A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face not always is predominant. In arts portrait can be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better represents personality and mood - this type of presentation can be chosen. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this reason, in photography a portrait is generally not a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. A portrait often shows a person looking directly at the painter or photographer, to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer, but portrait can be represented as a profile and 3/4. It’s important to understand that a subject with eyes closed also can be tractate as a portrait.