In both Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman art, it is a known convention for revered figures to be depicted in an idealized form, with very specific proportions, poses, and symbols on and around them. Of such revered figures, Gorgons were not a part of that list.

In Greek depictions of Medusa (Figure 1), there were no conventions of idealism used. In the Greek myth, she is said outright to be a monster, with phrases such as Terror, Hatred, and "a thing of fear", attached to her story. This is maintained in her art depictions, as although both cultures saw and used Medusa as a symbol of protection against evil, Greeks tended to portray her as a monstrous creature, while Romans saw her as a victim. 

In Roman depictions of Medusa (Figure 2), they moved in the opposite direction from the Greeks. Although Gorgons were feared and hated monsters, Medusa, a turned Gorgon had more human-like features in comparison to her Greek counterpart. In the Roman myth, Ovid goes into detail about how she was raped by Neptune/Poseidon and was only turned into a Gorgon by Minerva/Athena for her own protection. Roman art pieces of Medusa focus more on the human side of her, maintaining certain conventions such as idealized proportions, and even using other materials for her eyes to add depth to the piece.

When comparing the Roman and Greek perspectives of Medusa, it can be inferred that the differences in depictions of her are from the differing myths that they believed in. Where Romans, believed her a victim and more human, and the Greeks, believed her a monster from the beginning.