Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Return (Altadena) (Black & Gold Timed Edition)”
Summary
A flat gold-on-black screen print depicting a nude warrior on horseback rearing forward, sword raised overhead mid-strike, in Cleon Peterson's signature stark silhouette idiom drawn from Greek vase painting and equestrian war imagery. The single-figure, monumental treatment ties this 2025 Altadena edition to Peterson's ongoing meditation on conquest, the armed rider, and the violence beneath power.
Why It Matters
The mounted swordsman is one of the oldest images of dominance in Western art — the equestrian conqueror — and Peterson strips it to a single gold form against void black, turning a heroic monument into a blunt emblem of brutality. Reducing the composition to one rider rather than his usual brawling mobs concentrates the menace: the raised blade and rearing horse read as both classical relief and contemporary warning. Rendered in his black-and-gold palette, the print pushes Peterson's recurring themes of authority, war, and the abuse of force into an iconic, almost heraldic register.
Collector Perspective
A small timed edition of 20 in the Black & Gold colorway, hand-signed and numbered by the artist (signature lower right, edition notation lower left). The tight edition size makes this scarcer than Peterson's standard open or larger numbered runs, and the gold-on-black treatment is among his most visually collectible. As a single-image, iconic equestrian composition it has broad appeal; expect it to trade above his common editions but below his large-scale or collaborative marquee works. Condition and the deckle-edge presentation matter to value.
Historical Context
Released in 2025 under the Altadena title, the print continues Cleon Peterson's long engagement with images of conquest, mounted warriors, and the machinery of power that runs through his work from the End of Empire vases onward. Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) builds a visual language out of Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and the armed equestrian here belongs to that lineage of classical violence reimagined for the present. The black-and-gold timed edition format situates it among his more deluxe, limited print releases.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A nude male warrior on horseback, rendered as a flat gold silhouette against solid black, rearing forward with a sword raised overhead in mid-strike — an image of conquest and martial power drawn from classical equestrian and Greek vase imagery.
What is the edition size?
20. This is the Black & Gold Timed Edition.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. It is hand-signed by Cleon Peterson at lower right and numbered at lower left.
What is the medium?
A screen print, produced in 2025, on deckle-edge paper in Peterson's black-and-gold palette.
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 flat black, white, red and gold. He draws on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is 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.