Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “SORROW (Black)”
Summary
SORROW (Black) depicts a single hunched, muscular figure curled in on itself in grief, head bowed against a raised knee, while a white sword cuts diagonally through the scene above a fragmented, ruined cityscape. Rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature flat black silhouette against a tan/gold field with white accents, it shifts his usual mob violence into its quieter aftermath — a lone figure mourning the cost of conflict.
Why It Matters
Most of Peterson's work shows violence in motion — clubbing, stabbing, the mob in mid-frenzy. SORROW (Black) is the rarer counterpoint: the moment after, when the blade has fallen and only grief remains. The crouched, classically muscled body against ruins and a discarded sword draws directly on Greek vase painting and the iconography of mourning warriors, distilling Peterson's ongoing meditation on power and brutality into a single image of human cost. The reductive black-on-gold palette and bold contour give it the graphic punch of his strongest prints while carrying an unusually somber emotional register for the artist.
Collector Perspective
A hand-pulled screen print in a small edition of just 24, signed and numbered in pencil at the lower edge with Peterson's signature torn black deckled border. The tiny edition size puts it well below his more common 100–150 run prints, making it harder to source on the secondary market. The "Black" colorway designation implies companion variants exist, a structure familiar to Peterson collectors. As a low-edition 2023 screen print with strong graphic presence and an atypical, contemplative subject, it sits as a desirable but specialist piece — appealing more to established Peterson collectors than to first-time buyers, with limited but steady demand.
Historical Context
Created in 2023, SORROW (Black) belongs to Cleon Peterson's mature body of screen-printed editions, made after the artist (b. 1973, Seattle) had established his stark black/white/red/gold visual language across museum shows, murals, and frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The work continues his long engagement with classical antiquity — End of Empire vase imagery, Sirens, fallen cities — recast as commentary on contemporary power and violence. Here the ruined skyline and embedded sword frame a mourning figure, extending the "empire in collapse" themes that have run through his practice for over a decade.
FAQ
What does SORROW (Black) depict?
A single hunched, muscular figure curled in grief with its head bowed, set against a ruined cityscape with a white sword cutting diagonally through the scene — an image of mourning and the aftermath of violence rather than the violence itself.
How large is the edition?
The edition is just 24, making it one of Cleon Peterson's scarcer print releases.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Like Peterson's editions, it is hand-signed and numbered in pencil along the lower edge, within his characteristic torn black deckled border.
What is the medium?
It is a hand-pulled screen print on paper, produced in 2023, in Peterson's flat black-and-gold/tan palette with white accents.
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. He draws on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is 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.