The fact itself admits of no doubt.

The more injurious on that account must have been the early subjugation of the southern half of Etruria by the Romans, and the Romanizing--which there began very early--of Etruscan art.

What Northern Etruria, confined to its own efforts, was able to produce in the way of art, is shown by the copper coins which essentially belong to it.
Character of Latin Art Let us now turn from Etruria to glance at Latium.

The latter, it is true, created no new art; it was reserved for a far later epoch of culture to develop on the basis of the arch a new architecture different from the Hellenic, and then to unfold in harmony with that architecture a new style of sculpture and painting.

Latin art is nowhere original and often insignificant; but the fresh sensibility and the discriminating tact, which appropriate what is good in others, constitute a high artistic merit.