A small horned devil, identified by EW Tristram as the industrious Titivillus, who is discussed in the Introduction to this subject, appears at the bottom left. In this newer photograph it is now just possible to see that one of the women is dangling a rosary, appearing as an oval red outline in the centre of the scene, and Titivillus has another. It may be hanging around his neck, and the implication is that he has stolen it from one of these inattentive women. Tristram also saw part of an inscription consisting of apparently meaningless arrangments of similar letters, frequently repeated¹. It is just possible now to make out a letter C, between the right shoulder of Titivillus and the leg of the bench above him. There have at some earlier stage been other subsidiary figures here, presumably helping to pick up the droppedsyllables (Introduction), but only a few confused traces remain now.
I hope the painting can be rescued, because there are suggestions that it was originally quite an accomplished example. The way in which the two women are disposed on the bench, with thighs curving in a well-observed naturalistic manner (and the feet of the woman on the left crossed at the ankles, I think) compares favourably with the rather clumsier articulation of the figures at Slapton, for example.
There are other paintings at Seething, including a Passion Cycle.
¹Tristram 111, p.245
| Little Melton, Norfolk NEW | Melbourne, Derbyshire | Peakirk, Northants | Seething, Norfolk Updated |
| Slapton, Northants |