Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Eclipse II (White)”
Summary
Eclipse II (White) renders a tightly interlocked, radial cluster of writhing nude figures in flat black and gold against a pale gray ground, their limbs locked in fighting, grappling and dragging that reads as a single churning mandala of bodies. The dark and gold figures attack and overpower one another in an endless circular cycle, a hallmark composition of Cleon Peterson's mature work on the abuse of power and the violence beneath social order.
Why It Matters
This is one of Peterson's most resolved formal statements: by arranging his combatants into a symmetrical, rotating wheel of black-and-gold bodies, he turns brutality into ornament, echoing the figure-on-figure violence of ancient Greek vase painting and tondo compositions while stripping it down to a stark modern graphic language. The black-versus-gold pairing reads as oppressor and oppressed locked in a perpetual, leaderless cycle of aggression, the recurring theme that runs through Peterson's End of Empire and related bodies of work. The eclipse motif and the radial format make this a more iconic, design-forward image than his looser horizontal melee scenes, which is part of why the print has held collector attention.
Collector Perspective
A 2017 screen print from an edition of only 28, this is one of Peterson's scarcer hand-pulled releases and sits well below the run sizes of his more common 100-plus print editions. Issued in this white/gray colorway as one of a small set of color variants, it is hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. With a tiny edition, a strong central composition and the desirable black-and-gold palette, it appeals to collectors building a focused Peterson holding rather than buyers chasing his highest-volume images; expect it to trade infrequently and command a premium relative to his larger editions when examples do surface.
Historical Context
Eclipse II dates to 2017, the period when Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) had moved from gallery recognition into wide print-market visibility on the strength of his End of Empire vases and politically charged work of the mid-2010s. The radial, symmetrical arrangement of combatants draws directly on the classical sources Peterson cites, Greek vase painting and Hogarth, while the reduced black-white-gold palette ties it to the broader run of editions he produced in these years alongside his frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey.
FAQ
What does Eclipse II (White) depict?
A radial, mandala-like cluster of interlocked nude figures in black and gold, locked in fighting, grappling and dragging against a pale gray ground. It depicts a perpetual, circular cycle of violence and domination rather than any single narrative scene.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 28, making this one of Peterson's scarcer hand-pulled prints compared with his more common editions of 100 or more.
Is the print signed and numbered?
Yes. Like Peterson's other limited screen prints, it is hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print (silkscreen) produced in 2017, issued in this white/gray colorway as part of a small set of color variants of the Eclipse II image.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict in a flat black, white, red and gold palette. He draws on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is a frequent collaborator 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.