'Sleepy Hollow' Season 2, Episode 13: 'Pittura Infamante' Recap

A man is restoring an old painting of an artist, with back facing the viewer while working a canvas, when suddenly it begins to bleed. It stops just as abruptly.

Ichabod and Katrina have a date night to try to figure out their relationship. They go to an event at the Historical Society. There the painting is on display - a self portrait of the artist, someone explains, that once hung in the home of President Adams. Katrina, a friend of the Adam's family, has no recollection of it.

The restorer Grant, a friend of Ichabod's, pulls him aside to tell him what happened, but he is pulled aside by his employer before he can get the story out. Katrina feels a dark presence in the room. They decide to stay alert.

Working late, Abbie hears an officer yelling for someone to get on their knees. She runs to assist, and finds them arresting Irving.

Being around her old friend's things is making Katrina realize she left her world abruptly and got to say goodbye to no one. Ichabod reminds her they have each other. While the guests are at dinner, Grant goes to check out the painting again. Something attacks him. A scream brings everyone running, and they find him dangling, dead, from a chandelier.

Ichabod and Katrina, allowed to remain at the crime scene, discuss the murder. Ichabod thinks it is a ritualistic killing, meant to invoke the tarot's Hanged Man image. Katrina remembers a similar series of murders from their time - when John Adams was the lawyer for the victims. Abigail Adams had her opinions on the case. She thought someone with a medical background had helped commit the crimes.

Abbie fills Irving in on his death. Since his soul belongs to the Horseman of War, she thinks it means he has returned. It makes her suspicious of Irving.

Examining the painting they see the artist's blade is now wet with blood. Katrina notes an artist would also have an understanding of human anatomy. The artist in the painting turns to look at them.

They speculate he is using blood to finish his painting-within-a-painting. When they go back to the painting, the inverted cross on the painting has been worked on... but the artist is missing. Katrina thinks those touching the painting are the ones in danger - like Ichabod. He goes to find the curator Miller, who touched it. The man tells him that Grant told him the painting spoke to him. It spoke to him too.

Abbie speaks with her sister regarding Irving. She asks Jenny to contact Hawley for something that could help them if needed, and Jenny is sent to a graveyard to dig up a body. She removes the bullets from the corpse, but when she pulls out the last one, the corpse comes back to life and she has to put it back in. Abbie wants to have Katrina assess Irving and see if she can tell if he is compromised, but Ichabod isn't answering his phone.

Ichabod tries to get Miller to run, but Colby catches him and drags him into the painting. Katrina and Ichabod notice that marks on the frame are runes, meant to imprison him. Katrina reads old letters from her friend, hidden in a secret compartment, and realizes that Abigail had Katrina's coven capture Colby and trap him in the painting. However, if he completes his painting, he will be able to free himself. With a spell, the two follow him into the painting.

They find Miller just barely alive, nearly drained of blood. Colby has completed the painting - the Hanged Man. He may be now able to escape the painting. Colby manifests in a puddle of blood, but Katrina gets them out of the painting before he kills them. Ichabod goes to detroy the painting, but Colby gets out first. A bullet from Abbie's gun stops him. Abbie shoots the painting, which destroys Colby. When Ichabod didn't answer his phone she came to check on him.

Later, Reyes tells Abbie that there may be new evidence which will vindicate Irving.