Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “End Of Empire, Kylix (Black)”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print rendering an ancient Greek kylix (a stemmed drinking cup) whose shallow bowl is decorated with a frieze of five black silhouetted nude figures crawling on hands and knees in procession, framed by white chevron/arrow border bands. It belongs to Cleon Peterson's End of Empire series, in which he co-opts the visual language of classical Greek vase painting to stage the brutality, subjugation, and decline of power that runs through his work.
Why It Matters
End of Empire is one of Peterson's most conceptually ambitious bodies of work, taking the kylix and amphora forms of antiquity — objects associated with the Greek symposium, wealth, and civic order — and repurposing them as vessels of degradation and collapse. Here the crawling, faceless figures reduce humanity to a procession of the broken and the conquered, collapsing thousands of years of imperial history into a single circulating frieze. By staging this on a black-ground "object" print rather than a flat composition, Peterson directly invokes the museum vitrine and the archaeological artifact, asking the viewer to read contemporary abuses of power as part of an unbroken cycle from antiquity to now.
Collector Perspective
A 2018 screen print from the End of Empire series in an extremely small edition of 11, almost certainly signed and numbered by the artist. The tiny edition size puts it well below Peterson's more common 100–150-run prints and makes it one of the scarcer pieces a collector can find. The black (versus gold or white) colorway and the object/vessel format give it a distinct, almost sculptural presence on the wall. Realistically this is a connoisseur's piece rather than an entry-level Peterson print — desirable for the low edition and series significance, but with a thin secondary-market trail given how few exist.
Historical Context
The End of Empire series dates from the mid-to-late 2010s, a period when Peterson's reputation was cemented through gallery shows and his ongoing dialogue with classical sources and with collaborator Shepard Fairey. The work draws directly on red- and black-figure Greek vase painting, transposing its silhouetted figures and decorative borders into Peterson's flat, high-contrast idiom. Produced in 2018, this kylix print sits within his sustained meditation on the rise and fall of civilizations and the violence embedded in systems of power.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
It shows an ancient Greek kylix (a shallow, stemmed drinking cup) whose bowl is decorated with a frieze of five black silhouetted nude figures crawling on hands and knees, bordered by white chevron and arrow motifs, all set against a solid black ground.
What series is it from?
It is part of Cleon Peterson's End of Empire series, which reimagines classical Greek vessels — kylixes and amphorae — as emblems of power, subjugation, and the collapse of civilizations.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is just 11, making it an extremely small and scarce run by Peterson's standards.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson's limited editions are typically signed and numbered by the artist; given the small run of 11, this print would be hand-numbered.
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. He draws on classical 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.