Knight, Death, and the Devil, Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528)

An aging knight in full armor rides a magnificent horse through a dangerous landscape. He stoically looks forward, his hands firmly grasping the reigns. Just behind the knight, the horned Devil lurks, watching. The Devil’s body is a composite of different animal parts that artist Albrecht Dürer carefully studied and accurately rendered. To the left, the rotting corpse of Death holds an hourglass, which calls attention to the Knight’s mortality. With serpents curled around his decaying neck, Death sits atop a decrepit steed, echoing the Knight’s pose. In the distance, a hilltop village may offer rest and safety for the knight on his journey.
Scholars have put forth a number of interpretations for Knight, Death, and the Devil. While some have identified the knight as a specific person, others believe that he is a representation of the virtuous Christian knight or solider described by Erasmus in Instructions for the Christian Soldier (Enchiridion militis Christiani), published in 1504. In his book, Erasmus describes a scene similar to the one depicted in Dürer’s engraving. Alternatively, the work might act as a momento mori, a reminder of life’s transience and the inevitability of death.