Knight, Death and Devil

engraving by Albrecht Dürer

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June 30, 2026

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Knight, Death and Devil is a 1513 engraving by Albrecht Dürer, a renowned German Renaissance artist. This intricate work is one of Dürer's three master engravings from that period, alongside St. Jerome in His Study and Melencolia I.

The engraving depicts a heavily armored knight on horseback, accompanied by a personification of Death riding a pale horse and a devilish figure. The knight rides resolutely forward, seemingly unfazed by the presence of Death and the Devil, symbolizing Christian fortitude and the triumph of faith over worldly temptations and mortality. The detailed imagery and complex symbolism have been subject to extensive interpretation, reflecting Dürer's mastery of engraving and his engagement with philosophical and religious themes.1

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Albrecht Dürer
Development after the second Italian trip
…of his copperplate engravings: the Knight, Death and Devil, St. Jerome in His Study, and Melencolia I—all of approximately the same size, about 24.5 by 19.1 cm (9.5 by 7.5 inches). The extensive, complex, and often contradictory literature concerning these three engravings deals largely with their enigmatic, allusive, iconographic details.…
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…of his copperplate engravings: the Knight, Death and Devil, St. Jerome in His Study, and Melencolia I—all of approximately the same size, about 24.5 by 19.1 cm (9.5 by 7.5 inches). The extensive, complex, and often contradictory literature concerning these three engravings deals largely with their enigmatic, allusive, iconographic details.…
Read More