Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Burning The Dead (Red)”
Summary
A horizontal frieze of silhouetted black figures clubbing, dragging and beating one another across a blood-red ground, with a single slumped central figure collapsing as the brawl rages around it. The flat black-on-red palette and processional, vase-like composition place it squarely in Cleon Peterson's body of work depicting the brutality and abuse of power beneath civilized order.
Why It Matters
Burning The Dead (Red) is a concentrated example of the formal language that defines Peterson: figures reduced to stark black silhouettes, weapons raised mid-swing, bodies sprawled across a wide cinematic band of red. The composition openly borrows the friezelike arrangement and black-figure silhouette technique of ancient Greek vase painting, recasting an antique visual grammar as a scene of mob violence and atrocity. The red ground reads as both blood and fire, and the title's reference to disposing of the dead frames the chaos as the grim aftermath of conflict rather than a single fight. It is a clear, legible statement of the artist's central theme, the violence and predation that power produces, rendered in the high-contrast graphic style that made his work instantly recognizable.
Collector Perspective
This is a screen print from 2016 in a very small edition of only 17, which puts it well below the typical Peterson run of 100 to 150 and into genuinely scarce territory. Expect it to be hand-signed and numbered in the standard manner for his editions. The tiny edition size means few copies circulate at any given time, so availability is sporadic and pricing tends to be set by whatever single example happens to surface rather than a deep comp pool. For collectors, it is an attractive entry because it pairs the small print count with one of the artist's signature violence-and-power images in his red palette, though buyers should verify signature, numbering and condition given how rarely it trades.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) rose to prominence in the 2010s with stark black, white, red and gold scenes of fighting, clubbing and social conflict that expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. Burning The Dead (Red) dates from 2016, a peak period in which Peterson was producing his most recognizable mob-violence imagery, exhibiting widely and collaborating frequently with Shepard Fairey. The work sits within his ongoing exploration of antiquity and empire, treating contemporary violence through the lens of classical narrative friezes.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A row of black silhouetted figures fighting, clubbing and dragging one another across a red background, with a collapsed figure at the center. It is a scene of mob violence and its aftermath, a recurring subject in Cleon Peterson's work.
How large is the edition?
The edition is just 17, a very small run that makes this one of the scarcer Peterson prints.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson editions are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm the signature and number on the specific copy.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print, produced in 2016.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for high-contrast black, white and red scenes of violence and power that draw on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and for his frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey.
Related Works
About the Artist
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict, rendered in a flat, limited palette of black, white, red and gold. His chaotic compositions of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization’s surface, drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. A frequent collaborator with Shepard Fairey, he shows internationally; his prints, sculptures and editions are widely collected in the urban-contemporary market.
Collecting Cleon Peterson at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Cleon Peterson prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Cleon Peterson prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Cleon Peterson prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Cleon Peterson and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.