Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Blood & Soil III”
Summary
A stark black-white-and-red screen print in which a hulking, club-wielding uniformed officer with a peaked cap drives a baton across the throat of a recoiling nude figure who throws an arm up against the blow. One of Cleon Peterson's most direct images of state violence, it distills his signature subject — the abuse of power and the brutality of authority — into a single flattened, frieze-like confrontation.
Why It Matters
Blood & Soil III is a pointed political work: its title invokes the "blut und boden" nationalist slogan, and the imagery — a faceless figure of state authority assaulting a defenseless civilian — turns Peterson's usual mob brawls into a clear statement about institutional power and oppression. The reductive palette of red ground, solid black and bone-white, paired with the compressed, vase-painting-like staging, is Peterson at his most legible and confrontational, which is exactly why this image registers so immediately as protest.
Collector Perspective
A 2018 screen print in a tight edition of 24, hand-signed and numbered in pencil at the lower margin. The small edition size puts it among the scarcer Peterson screen prints — well below his more common runs of 100-plus — so supply is thin and it surfaces infrequently on the secondary market. As an overtly political, named-series image it appeals to collectors who want Peterson at his most pointed; condition and full margins matter, and the low edition supports value relative to his larger releases.
Historical Context
Made in 2018, during a period when Peterson's work leaned hard into commentary on authoritarianism, nationalism and the resurgence of far-right politics. The "Blood & Soil" title borrows a notorious nationalist rallying cry, and this print sits within that body of explicitly political screen prints, extending the artist's long-running interrogation of power, violence and the figure of the uniformed enforcer.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A uniformed, club-wielding officer in a peaked cap forcing a baton across the throat of a recoiling nude figure who raises an arm to fend off the blow — a scene of state violence rendered in Peterson's flat black, white and red style.
What is the edition size?
24.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes — these screen prints are hand-signed and numbered in pencil by Cleon Peterson, typically in the lower margin.
What is the medium and series?
It is a screen print from 2018, part of Peterson's politically charged 'Blood & Soil' group of works (this being version III).
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/gold palette, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and a frequent collaborator of 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.