Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Headless Man (Black & White)”
Summary
A stark, flat black silhouette of a muscular nude figure striding forward, dragging a sword in one hand and carrying a freshly severed head by the hair in the other, with drops of blood falling beneath it onto a bare gray ground. Rendered entirely in Peterson's signature high-contrast black-on-light palette, it distills his recurring meditation on conquest, executioner violence and the brutality underlying civilization into a single archetypal aggressor.
Why It Matters
Headless Man is a clean, reductive statement of the central idea running through all of Cleon Peterson's work: that power expresses itself as physical domination and the casual taking of life. By stripping the scene down to one black figure, a blade, and a trophy head against an empty field, Peterson borrows the visual economy of ancient Greek vase painting and propaganda graphics to make the act of decapitation read as timeless and almost mythic rather than topical. The dripping blood and the head held aloft turn the viewer into a witness to executioner culture, which is exactly the unease Peterson wants. As a single-figure, black-and-white composition it is one of his most graphically direct images, well suited to readers who want the essence of his message without the chaos of his crowd scenes.
Collector Perspective
A 2019 screen print in an edition of just 28, this is a genuinely small run by Peterson standards and sits firmly at the scarce end of his print output. It is the black-and-white version of the Headless Man image; collectors should confirm it is hand-signed and numbered in pencil in the lower margin, as is standard for his editions (signature and numbering appear along the lower edge of this sheet). Because of the tiny edition and the strong, instantly readable image, it holds a desirable spot in a focused Peterson collection, though as a single-figure black-and-white work it trades at a more accessible level than his large multi-color or gold-ground pieces. Liquidity is moderate: Peterson has an active secondary market, but a 28-edition print surfaces only occasionally.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) built his reputation through the 2010s on flat, high-contrast scenes of clubbing, fighting and abuse of power, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and frequently collaborating with Shepard Fairey. By 2019 he was producing tightly editioned screen prints that isolated his core motifs into single, emblematic figures. Headless Man (Black & White) belongs to this body of pared-down, archetype-driven work, where the executioner and his severed trophy stand in for the recurring themes of conquest, mob violence and mortality that define his practice.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A solid black silhouette of a nude muscular man walking forward while dragging a sword and holding a severed human head by the hair, with blood dripping onto the bare ground. It is an image of executioner violence and conquest.
What is the edition size?
The edition is 28, a small run for Cleon Peterson, which places it at the scarce end of his print editions.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson's editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil in the lower margin, and signature and numbering are present along the bottom edge of this sheet. Buyers should confirm both before purchase.
What medium and version is this?
It is a screen print from 2019, and specifically the black-and-white version of the Headless Man image rather than a color variant.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark black, white and red scenes of violence, power and social conflict, influenced by ancient Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator.
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.