Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Long Live Death (Bone)”
Summary
A stark black-on-white scene of mob violence: a rearing horse and a cluster of muscular black silhouetted figures, one raising a blade overhead, set upon a single pale gray victim crumpled on the ground. It distills Cleon Peterson's signature subject — the brutality of power and the crowd turning on the individual — into one of his most reductive, classically charged compositions.
Why It Matters
Long Live Death" channels the chaos of Goya and the figural language of ancient Greek vase painting into a flat, weaponized modern graphic. By stripping the palette to black, white and gray and letting the lone pale figure read as the doomed innocent among predatory black bodies, Peterson stages the recurring thesis of his work: civilization is a thin veneer over violence, and the mob always finds its victim. The rearing horse and raised sword borrow the visual grammar of equestrian conquest and martyrdom, making this a concentrated statement piece within his "End of Empire" era of meditations on power and collapse.
Collector Perspective
This is the "Bone" (black/white/gray) colorway from a small edition of 28, the most restrained palette of the run and the scarcer end of Peterson's typical print sizes. Like the artist's standard practice, examples are hand-signed and numbered. With only 28 produced, supply to the secondary market is thin and infrequent; demand for Peterson's monochrome statement prints remains steady among collectors who follow his Shepard Fairey collaborations and gallery editions. A solid mid-tier hold rather than a flagship piece, valued for the tight edition and the clean, high-impact monochrome image.
Historical Context
Released in 2022, "Long Live Death (Bone)" sits within Cleon Peterson's mature body of work exploring power, violence and societal breakdown — themes he has developed since the early 2010s and intensified through his "End of Empire" and conflict-driven series. The title nods to the morbid rallying cry famously associated with fascist and wartime rhetoric, reframed by Peterson as a critique of how societies glorify brutality. The "Bone" designation marks the muted, near-monochrome edition variant, distinct from his sharper black/white/red releases.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A scene of mob violence: a rearing horse and several muscular black silhouetted figures — one swinging a blade overhead — attack a single pale gray figure cowering on the ground, dramatizing Cleon Peterson's recurring theme of the crowd's brutality against the individual.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 28.
Is it signed and numbered?
Consistent with Cleon Peterson's standard practice, examples from this edition are hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print (silkscreen), the 2022 'Bone' black/white/gray colorway.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for flat, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict that draw on Greek vase painting, Goya and street art. He 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.