Albrech Durer's Knight, Death and the Devil, 1513, is said to symbolize the persecution of the Knights Templar in the early 14th century by French King Philip Le Bel, represented in this engraving by Death. While death here symbolizes a male figure, the facial features and dress are androgynous. The snakes ringing the figure's lead to a comparison to Medusa, the androgynous killer from Greek mythology. The figure at left, said to represent a female version of Death is also of indeterminate gender as far as facial features and dress go. "Her" long hair may be an indication of gender, or just early experimentation with dreadlocks?
Albrecht Durer, Knight, Death and the Devil
Albrech Durer's Knight, Death and the Devil
Detail from Durer engraving