If the clues seem few in number, consider their potency.
What is 'the spurtle'? My attention is drawn to another nymph a little bit below, the one doing the back float with her arms open wide. The way she's tilted sort of forms the letter 'X' as in the Greek letter 'chi' which is the first letter of 'Christos'. And if the image of this nymph had been turned vertical, it would be a clearer allusion, I suppose.
This trick of turning things to one side was used in other VMs illustrations. It's a way to introduce ambiguity without actually altering the intended interpretation.
What is 'the spurtle'? My attention is drawn to another nymph a little bit below, the one doing the back float with her arms open wide. The way she's tilted sort of forms the letter 'X' as in the Greek letter 'chi' which is the first letter of 'Christos'. And if the image of this nymph had been turned vertical, it would be a clearer allusion, I suppose.
This trick of turning things to one side was used in other VMs illustrations. It's a way to introduce ambiguity without actually altering the intended interpretation.
