Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileKnight on horse
About This Work
This drawing is a preparatory study for the famous 1513 engraving 'Knight, Death, and the Devil.' The knight is depicted as a figure of grim determination, riding a muscular horse through a terrain marked by skulls. Notable for its anatomical precision, the work captures the tension between the knight's steady path and the ever-present reminders of mortality.
The artwork represents the 'Miles Christianus' (Christian Soldier), a concept central to Northern Renaissance humanism. It reflects the influence of Erasmus of Rotterdam's 'Enchiridion militis Christiani', which advocates for spiritual fortitude and the stoic pursuit of virtue amidst the trials of the world.
Inscriptions
1513 AD
Connected Texts
Erasmus of Rotterdam
Dürer's depiction of the resolute knight is widely considered a visual realization of the 'Christian Soldier' described in Erasmus's 1501 'Enchiridion militis Christiani'.
Provenance & Source
Object
Pen and brown ink, touches of brush and brown wash; fully layed down on paper backing
11 13/16 x 11 in. (30 x 28 cm)
allegory
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/336223
Public domain
316 × 400 px
f1a2edc94a1282616ce28b128e948a5fb0c562f4
August 12, 2006
March 24, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.