Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Weak And The Powerful (First Edition)”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print in which a single defenseless white figure kneels at center with hands raised in supplication, ringed by larger black-silhouetted assailants wielding a raised club, spears and a knife. The scene distills Cleon Peterson's central subject: the brutal, lopsided exercise of power as a mob closes in on a lone victim.
Why It Matters
The Weak And The Powerful is a near-thesis statement for Peterson's body of work, naming outright the asymmetry of power that runs through everything he makes. By stripping the composition to flat black silhouettes against a white ground and isolating a pale, kneeling supplicant among armed aggressors, Peterson turns a contemporary scene of mob violence into something timeless and parable-like, echoing Greek vase painting and the moral allegories of Hogarth. It is the kind of unambiguous, high-impact image that has made him one of the most recognizable political-figurative artists working in the street-art lineage.
Collector Perspective
A 2019 screen print in an edition of only 76, this is a genuinely tight run for Peterson and sits among his more sought-after editioned prints, helped by the on-the-nose, collector-friendly title. As with Peterson's hand-pulled editions, examples are typically signed and numbered by the artist. The small edition and the directness of the imagery support steady demand; condition and clean margins matter for a high-contrast black-and-white print where handling marks show readily. A core holding for anyone building a focused Peterson set rather than a speculative flip.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) emerged through the street-art and skate world and rose to wider prominence in the 2010s with brutal, flat black/white/red scenes of violence and power, frequently collaborating with Shepard Fairey. By 2019, when this First Edition was released, his visual language of clubbing, stabbing and writhing figures drawn from Greek vase painting and Hogarthian satire was fully established, and titles like The Weak And The Powerful made the social critique explicit during a politically charged period.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A single defenseless figure kneeling at center with hands raised in supplication, surrounded by larger black-silhouetted attackers carrying a raised club, spears and a knife — an execution or beating that stages the imbalance between the weak and the powerful.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 76, a small run for Cleon Peterson.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson's hand-pulled editions are typically signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm the specific signature and numbering for any individual example.
What is the medium and year?
It is a screen print (the First Edition) produced in 2019.
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 palette, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and 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.