Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Masters Of War (Gold)”
Summary
A dense, full-bleed melee of black silhouetted figures hacking and clubbing one another with knives, a sword and a baton across a flat gold ground. This is the gold colorway of Cleon Peterson's "Masters Of War," a signature mob-violence composition that distills his recurring theme of civilization collapsing into brute force.
Why It Matters
Masters Of War" is a textbook example of why Peterson's work resonates: there is no hero, no resolution, just an interlocking tangle of aggressors and victims rendered in stark black against gold. The flat, friezelike crowd of fighting bodies directly channels classical Greek vase painting and Hogarth's moral chaos, recast in the visual language of street art and protest graphics. The gold ground elevates the brutality to something almost iconic and altar-like, sharpening Peterson's central argument that violence and the abuse of power are baked into the human order rather than aberrations from it.
Collector Perspective
A small edition of 28, hand-signed and numbered by the artist, this is the gold variant of "Masters Of War" from 2014. The tight edition size puts it well below Peterson's more common 100-150 print runs, which makes the gold colorway the scarcer and more sought-after version of the image. It sits in the strong middle tier of his secondary market: recognizable composition, low edition, and the gold palette that collectors favor. Condition and a clean signature/number matter at this size; demand for Peterson's small-edition golds is steady rather than speculative.
Historical Context
Produced in 2014, during the stretch when Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) was consolidating the flat black-on-gold idiom that became his signature and powering toward larger projects and his frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey. "Masters Of War" belongs to his core body of mob-violence imagery, where anonymous figures brutalize one another in compositions drawn from Greek vase painting and Hogarthian satire. The work predates his monumental public installations and reflects the period in which his stark moral vision of power and conflict crystallized.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A crowded, edge-to-edge brawl of black silhouetted figures attacking one another with knives, a sword and a club against a flat gold background — Cleon Peterson's signature image of mob violence and the abuse of power.
What is the edition size?
28 prints in this gold colorway, making it a notably small and scarce edition for Peterson.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. The print is hand-signed and numbered by Cleon Peterson, with the number at lower left and the signature at lower right.
What is the medium and series?
It is a screen print from 2014, the gold variant of 'Masters Of War,' part of Peterson's ongoing body of violence-and-power compositions.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast black/white/red/gold scenes of violence, power and social conflict, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and 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.