Albrecht Dürer

A good but slightly grey Meder f impression, still printing relatively strongly; with the scratch across the horse's left hind leg. Narrow to thread margins.
The engraving depicts a knight on horseback riding with his dog through an inhospitable rocky landscape. Death and the devil accompany him, but remain hidden from view. Dürer leaves open whether these figures are real or spiritual in nature. The identity of the rider remains deliberately undefined. Researchers offer two contrasting interpretations: that of the fearless Christian knight (Miles Christianus) and a negative reading as an ominous rider. Currently, the Christian interpretation prevails, supported by iconographic traditions and contemporary image sources. – With small foxing spots. The upper right corner reinforced and partially retouched. A closed tear at the top left edge. Two closed tears within the image. The right edge is reinforced on the reverse side by c. 1-2 mm. Verso with remnants and traces of former mounting, otherwise in good condition.