I was also surprised when I first saw a huge Roman fresco in person. It seems that the medieval times were indeed the dark times. I get the historical reasons and all that but it's almost laughable looking at this art in museums.

Not a Historian here, but I've heard that looking at Medieval art is more akin to looking at Anime art. Yes, the art is more stylized and cartoonish, but so are many art forms of today. I'm not certain of this, but I believe we have examples of 'classical'/realistic paintings from the medieval period/places alongside the stylized/cartoonish pictures too. As in, medieval art was a fad. Again, not a historian, someone please correct me!

> Systematic attempts to evolve a system of perspective are usually considered to have begun around the fifth century BC in the art of ancient Greece, as part of a developing interest in illusionism allied to theatrical scenery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_(graphical)

Did you scroll down and see the painting of the animal skull next to it? It looks 3D.