Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Night Has Come (First Edition)”
Summary
A stark black, white and red screen print depicting uniformed, peaked-cap figures (police or military authority) beating prone, defenseless victims on a tiled floor at night, one officer raising a baton mid-strike. It is a signature Cleon Peterson tableau of state violence and the abuse of power, rendered in his flat, high-contrast Greek-vase-derived style.
Why It Matters
Night Has Come distills Peterson's central subject: the brutality embedded in systems of authority. The uniformed aggressors and the title's apocalyptic note transform a generic street beating into a parable about the collapse of moral order under power. Composed in his trademark reduced palette of black, red and white with everything flattened into silhouette, the print reads instantly and aggressively, owing as much to ancient red-figure pottery and political poster art as to contemporary painting. As a self-contained statement of the police-violence theme that runs through his strongest work of the mid-2010s, it is one of the more confrontational and legible images in his print catalogue.
Collector Perspective
This is the First Edition, a 2014 screen print in an edition of only 16 — an unusually small run that places it firmly at the scarce end of Peterson's output and well below the 100-plus editions typical of his more familiar releases. Expect it to be hand-signed and numbered in pencil at the lower margin (the visible markings are consistent with a signed/numbered impression). The tiny edition makes it harder to source than his open or larger-run prints, so availability is sporadic and condition matters; for collectors building a focused Peterson holding, the small edition and the directly-on-point police-violence imagery are the main draws rather than decorative appeal.
Historical Context
Created in 2014, Night Has Come sits in the period when Peterson's reputation was consolidating around themes of conflict, mob violence and institutional brutality, and when he was working closely within the Shepard Fairey/Obey orbit. The mid-2010s saw heightened public attention to policing and authority in the United States, and Peterson's uniformed-aggressor imagery from these years reads directly against that backdrop. The flat, silhouetted figures and black/red/white scheme tie the work to his ongoing dialogue with classical Greek vase painting and with the graphic language of protest and propaganda art.
FAQ
What does Night Has Come depict?
Uniformed, peaked-cap figures — reading as police or military authority — beating prone victims on a tiled floor, one raising a baton to strike. It is a scene of state-sanctioned violence rendered in Peterson's flat black, red and white style.
How large is the edition?
This is the First Edition, limited to just 16 impressions, making it a scarce release within Peterson's print catalogue.
Is it signed and numbered?
Impressions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil in the lower margin, consistent with a small limited-edition screen print.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print (silkscreen), printed in 2014 in Peterson's characteristic limited palette of black, red and white.
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. Drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator, he uses a flat black/white/red/gold palette to expose the brutality beneath civilization.
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.