Knight, Death, and the Devil (1513, Met-Objekt 148)
Original title: Knight, Death, and the Devil
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer made this engraving in 1513. It shows an armored rider moving between the personifications of Death and the Devil. The print belongs to his three master engravings and marks a high point of Renaissance printmaking.
Description
A knight in full armor sits on his horse and holds a lance to the right. To the left of the horse appears a figure with a skull and an hourglass, behind it a horned figure with a pitchfork. A castle on rocky ground rises in the background; on the ground lie a skull and a shield with the year 1513. Light falls from the upper left and casts shadows on the right side of the figures.
Context
Dürer made this engraving in 1513 in Nuremberg, during a phase of intense engagement with humanist and religious questions. The knight is often understood as a symbol of the Christian warrior who advances undeterred and is not distracted by Death and the Devil. The year on the shield on the ground points to Dürer's most mature creative period.
Impact
The tight layout and precise linework create an urgent, almost dramatic mood. The knight appears resolute and unshakable, while the dark companions spread a threatening atmosphere.
Technique
For this engraving, lines were incised into a copper plate with a burin. Dürer's skill is evident in the differentiated rendering of surfaces such as armor, fur, and hair.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)