▁compos itional ▁means ▁within ▁a ▁seem ingly ▁cas ual ▁grouping . ▁G one , ▁finally ▁are ▁elabor ation ▁of ▁detail ▁and ▁different iation ▁of ▁surface ▁texture . ▁F aces ▁are ▁cut ▁rather ▁than ▁model led , ▁hair ▁takes ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁cap ▁with ▁some ▁super f icial ▁st ipp ling , ▁dra per y ▁fol ds ▁are ▁summar ily ▁indicated ▁by ▁deeply ▁d ril led ▁lines ." ▁ ▁The ▁commission ▁was ▁clearly ▁highly ▁important , ▁if ▁hurried , ▁and ▁the ▁work ▁must ▁be ▁considered ▁as ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁best ▁available ▁craft sm ans hip ▁in ▁Rome ▁at ▁the ▁time ; ▁the ▁same ▁work shop ▁was ▁probably ▁responsible ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁surv iving ▁s arc oph agi . ▁ ▁The ▁question ▁of ▁how ▁to ▁account ▁for ▁what ▁may ▁seem ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁both ▁style ▁and ▁execution ▁has ▁generated ▁a ▁vast ▁amount ▁of ▁discussion . ▁ ▁Fact ors ▁introduced ▁into ▁the ▁discussion ▁include : ▁a ▁break down ▁of ▁the ▁transmission ▁in ▁art istic ▁skills ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁the ▁Cris is ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Century , infl u ence ▁from ▁Eastern ▁and ▁other ▁pre - class ical ▁regional ▁styles ▁from ▁around ▁the ▁Empire ▁( a ▁view ▁promoted ▁by ▁Josef ▁Str zy g owski ▁( 1 8 6 2 - 1 9 4 1 ), ▁and ▁now ▁mostly ▁disc ount ed ), ▁the ▁emer gence ▁into ▁high - status ▁public ▁art ▁of ▁a ▁simpler ▁" pop ular " ▁or ▁" Ital ic " ▁style ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁used