Dürer called this symbolic engraving 'The Rider'. Travelling through a dark and rocky gorge, he ignores the surrounding dangers and represents Christians who travel through life in an honourable way. The theme relates to the philosopher Erasmus' book, 'Instructions for the Christian Soldier' of 1504, which uses the image of a pathway leading through a dangerous gorge to symbolise life. A skull and a grotesque figure holding an hourglass (Death) become ‘memento mori'. Translating as 'Remember you shall die', these aren’t warnings of imminent death but reminders that death comes to everyone; status or wealth count for nothing after death. Therefore, while Death isn’t an immediate threat, he reminds the knight to guard against vanity as his time on earth is short. The Devil follows the knight. The knight and his dog completely ignore this figure, suggesting that the knight is not tempted by sin and corruption. Dogs too usually symbolise faith and devotion. This was one of John Ruskin’s favourite prints. He told art students to copy Dürer's prints to learn about creating form, texture, light and shadow.
Memorials Vol 1 p 287 In a letter to William Allingham c.1865 "...And this luck has happened to me, of all lucks the best that could have happened, Ruskin has given me the four great engravings of Albert Durer - the Knight, Melancholy, St. Hubert, and Adam and Eve - all perfect impressions; also many woodcuts of the same and the great designs of the Apocalypse, glorious to behold." Memorials Vol 2 p 49 In a letter to Edward Richard Jones , the artist's father in 1874 "... I believe Undine is the best, but I used to like Sintram most - it is a story made out of the engraving I have by Albert Durer, of the Knight riding by a rock and horribles all about him. And it shows what a treasure such a design is in the world that it can suggest such beauty to another man, and I dare say fifty more lovely stories could be made of it."
The Collection of the Guild of St George was moved to Meersbrook Park House in 1890, and renamed the Ruskin Museum. Ruskin’s original museum in Walkley was found to be too small for the collection and felt to be too difficult to get to. In addition, Ruskin’s chosen curator, Henry Swan had recently died. Whilst Ruskin insisted that the council should not own the collection itself, the display and maintenance of the collection became linked to the council from this date. William White, the first curator at Meerbrook was devoted to the ideas of Ruskin but nevertheless split the collection up into different rooms including a Gallery or Picture Room, Print Room, Turner Room, and Mineral and Cast Room. Ruskin intended all elements of the collection to be seen together and he refused to have anything to do with White or the Museum again. The museum closed in 1953 as interest in Ruskin had declined and the museum became too costly to run.