Starting in the 10th century BCE, Greek art began to stand out for its variety of regional styles found mainly in ceramic works of the Protogeometric and Geometric Periods, which were given these names due to the use of decorative patterns based on a combination of lines and circles. These characteristics were orientalized following the acquisition of motifs from eastern civilizations during the 8th and 7th centuries BCE; leading to the Archaic Period, with its focus on the human body, especially in sculpture. The Classical Age, with its emphasis on beauty and harmony followed, and eventually gave way to Hellenism upon the death of Alexander the Great.

Rome had a farming and pastoral origin until it came into contact with Greece in the 3re and 2nd centuries BCE. An elegant style developed during the reign of Augustus, especially in architectural decorations, sculpture, portraiture, and craftwork. Eclectic influences were incorporated into the mosaics, paintings, and public buildings built during the Imperial Age.