Signals, Colors, and Cuckolds: Reading Roman Comic Art

by Mary Harrsch © 2025

I found another interesting theatrical scene found in either Herculaneum or Pompeii and reproduced by Henri Roux Ainé in a copper engraving and reproduced in Barré’s 1839 text. Barré interprets it as a comedic slave holding his left hand in a signal indicating a cuckolded husband. On the right we see an embarrassed young woman and an older woman that Barré describes as wearing a red headdress and all red clothing that would normally signal to the audience she was, "a mother of a courtesan or an old woman who traffics in the dishonor of young girls," what we would call in modern terms, a Madame, who secures men for young women working as prostitutes. However, she looks equally grief-stricken at the gesture indicating she is either a matronly companion or mother of the younger woman. Barré uses this image to decry "the comic theater of the ancients in terms of decency, nobility, and dignity."

A comedic scene in which a slave on the left flashes a hand signal meaning a cuckolded husband to a young woman on the right accompanied by an older matron. This is an 1839 print of a copper engraving by Henri Roux Ainé of a fresco found in either Herculaneum or Pompeii published in a book authored by Louis Barré.

 Barré’s interpretation of the matronly figure is really just based on her red attire. The girl is wearing nothing immodest and her attire is described as a blue undergarment with a white overgarment. I assume he identifies the slave because of the comic mask and the fact that he wears a short, striped yellow tunic and cloak.

 In Roman comedy, masks and short tunics in yellow, brown, and other “common” hues were associated with low status.  Maidens were often depicted in delicate colors such as white and blue which Barré tells us in his translated text is the case here. A lena or procuress was usually depicted as an older woman in gaudy or bright colors, sometimes red as in this case that is meant to signal vulgarity on stage. However, the facial expressions of both the younger woman and the matronly woman appear to be embarrassment and I don’t think that would be the case if the older woman was a procuress even though Barré’s interpretation was based upon known ancient theatrical costumes.

 Red and especially crimson was produced with a luxury dye, that under normal circumstances connoted wealth. However, it was also associated with sensuality and women of questionable reputation when used in theatrical or satirical contexts. Wall paintings often transposed these stage conventions, but with artistic license. The frescoes in domestic settings weren’t exact reproductions of stage costumes — instead, they gave viewers enough hints (mask, garment length, bright vs. modest colors) to trigger recognition of stock types.

While it’s true that red was a lena/procuress signal on stage, we can’t be sure the painter meant the matronly figure here to be read that way in a domestic setting where these scenes were often reproduced. Barré (and many 19th-century antiquarians) tended to project moral lessons, assuming that color always mapped one-to-one with “vice” or “virtue.” Modern scholarship treats such identifications with caution — the same color could signal different things depending on context. If you enjoyed this post, never miss out on future posts by following me by email!