Romans painted murals on their walls because the spaces in their city dwellings were long and narrow.

• A. Colorful
• B. Long and Narrow
• C. Irregular
• D. Large

Answer: (B)

When interior decoration mirrors the room’s shape, the decoration itself becomes a tool to address that shape. Romans painted murals on walls to enliven and visually extend spaces that were long and narrow. In such rooms, wall paintings could create rhythm, guide the eye along the length, and prevent the wall from feeling flat or monotonous. The idea is that the reason for painting is tied to the room’s form—long and narrow spaces benefit from color, patterns, and scenes that break up the length and add interest.

That’s why the option describing long and narrow spaces is the best choice: it directly connects the decoration to the room’s proportions. The other options describe outcomes or qualities of murals (colorful, large, irregular) rather than why Romans would choose wall painting for those particular spaces.