Central vertical standard (pillar) Symbolism

An emblematic ‘body’ of the knight; a banner-like axis of measure and protection standing in for chivalric vigilance.

Common Themes

Eros vs. agape (lust vs. charity)The divine & the sacredHeroism & the testMimesis vs. abstraction (truth vs. artifice)Medium reflexivity (art about art)Power & authority

Artworks Featuring This Symbol

Knight (Part 9) by Gustav Klimt

Knight (Part 9)

Gustav Klimt (1910–1911)

Klimt’s Knight (Part 9) turns chivalry into a <strong>geometric icon</strong>: a vertical standard of stacked bars and checks flanked by <strong>ranks of circles and triangles</strong> that read as shields and studs. Set on a <strong>golden ground</strong> and crowned and undergirded by ornamental zones, it proclaims vigilance and ethical guardianship between the frieze’s figural scenes. <sup>[1]</sup>