With the advent of the Empire, Roman art is often produced by artists and architects from the absorbed lands, although certain qualities still mark the art as Roman. But even these qualities of the art will change as new groups of people are incorporated into the Empire. By the time Augustus Caesar came to power, the Bay of Naples was ringed with the villas of the rich. Consequently, the latest contemporary artistic fashions were reflected in the frescoes on the walls of the villas in Pompeii. This style is characterized by the use of faux marble painted on plaster, simulated masonry walls, and ornate mosaic floors.
Artists draw upon Hellenistic examples of painting and architecture.
Walls are divided into three horizontal zones, with the top zone featuring a painted cornice. This style is characterized by painted columns breaking through the picture plane, architectural vistas teasing the eye with perspective recessions, and stories from Greek mythology. This style coincides with the rule of Augustus Caesar. The walls have a single monochrome background color and are decorated with elaborate architectural and vegetal details. When figures appear, such as sirens or griffins, they are treated prima rily as decoration.