Knight Death And The Devil

2 Pages 607 Words

In Durer’s copperplate engraving, Knight, Death, and Devil, it appears that the Knight is emerging victorious, both morally and literally over his two adversaries Death and the Devil. The Knight could be interpreted as Erasmus’s unwavering Christian soldier who mocks Death and the Devil, believing that he is protected as he does God’s will here in mortality on this Earth that God as created. The ‘Christian soldier’ is a perfect embodiment and ideal of the many virtues toward which the church and culture of the middle ages gave so much import. One of these virtues is that of temperance, the Knight is traveling far from the city, alone and seemingly quite vulnerable to the temptations and desperation that may be cast at him from Death and the Devil causing him to fall from his position. However he remains steadfast in his look, armed with a sword and spear, and protected by full armor. He doesn’t even notice Death and the Devil waiting to take advantage of him and grasp him, pulling him down to his demise. He is the very image of temperance of a strong, faithful and unmoving servant of Christ.
Durer chose to represent the horse in full profile, showing every muscle and aspect of the animal in perfect proportions. The horse is depicted in the picture perfect moment as if its regulated steps were chosen for a sculpture. The hound that accompanies the Knight could be said to represent faith. In the middle ages hounds often accompanied their masters and aided them in their quests, dogs by nature are extremely faithful and obedient to their owners, as a Christian soldier should be to his God. Death and the Devil choose to appear in the wilderness where the Knight is alone and more susceptible to their machinations. In this scene the Knight is surrounded by evil and destruction, the trademarks of his foe. A skull lies at the feet of the horse perhaps representing the failures of those who have gone before our protagonist, but agai...