Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “End Of Empire, Aryballos (Black)”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print rendering an ancient Greek aryballos vessel, its body painted in Cleon Peterson's signature flat silhouette style: a dominant central nude figure stands triumphant with a staff/weapon while two figures crouch and writhe at his feet. It belongs to Peterson's End Of Empire series, in which he co-opts the visual language of classical black-figure vase painting to stage timeless cycles of conquest, submission and brutality.
Why It Matters
End Of Empire is one of Cleon Peterson's most conceptually resolved bodies of work, collapsing the gap between antiquity and the present by depicting modern themes of power, dominance and violence in the form of a Greek artifact. By staging his figures on a vase, Peterson argues that the abuse of power he depicts is not a contemporary aberration but a recurring structure as old as Western civilization itself. The object-as-image conceit, the rigorous reduction to pure black and white, and the direct quotation of Greek ceramic tradition make this a sharp distillation of the artist's central preoccupations.
Collector Perspective
This is a hand-signed and numbered screen print from a very small edition of just 16, making it one of the scarcer Peterson editions to reach the market. The tiny edition size puts it well below his more common 100-plus-run prints, and the End Of Empire vase imagery is among his most recognizable and sought-after motifs. The "Black" designation indicates this is the monochrome variant within a set of color treatments of the aryballos form. Given the small run, supply is thin and these surface infrequently; condition and the pencil signature/numbering are the key value drivers.
Historical Context
Produced in 2018, this print comes from the mature phase of Cleon Peterson's career, when his End Of Empire project — encompassing prints, painted vessels and sculpture — was fully developed. The series draws explicitly on ancient Greek black-figure pottery, recasting the heroic and mythological scenes of antiquity as depictions of raw domination. The aryballos (a small Greek oil flask) format situates the work within Peterson's broader practice of borrowing classical forms to comment on the persistence of violence and authoritarian power across history.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
It depicts an ancient Greek aryballos (oil vessel) whose body is painted with three nude male figures — a dominant standing figure holding a staff or weapon, flanked by two crouching, writhing figures — rendered in flat black silhouette in the style of Greek black-figure vase painting.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 16, making it one of Cleon Peterson's scarcer prints.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. This impression is hand-signed in pencil by the artist at lower right and numbered at lower left.
What is the medium and which series is it from?
It is a screen print from Cleon Peterson's End Of Empire series, which reimagines themes of power and violence through the language of ancient Greek ceramics.
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 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.