Nodelman describes Roman art (portraits) because for the first time in history Roman sculpture breaks from the Duces (Hellenistic) “God-Like” style of unrealistic appearance and uses the Realistic Veristic style that shows the subjects in the portraits later in life balding, toothless, and creases in the face which are characterized as the ‘system of signs’ and signals Roman style from Greek (Archaic, Classical or Hellenistic.)
Roman sculpture appropriated the three styles of Greek sculpture, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic. The artists drew upon the best of these three styles and manipulated them to express a range of messages that gave the sculptures a sense of heightened realism and individual presence. Roman artists also used elaborate narratives in marble relief to provide a visual account of imperial virtues. Historical relief used the Greek Classical style to bolster the civic image of the new imperial regime as it moved away from the republic rule.
