Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Jaunt #012 (Second Edition)”
Summary
A monochrome black-and-white screen print rendering a classical Greek black-figure amphora, its body divided into horizontal friezes of Peterson's stark silhouetted figures clubbing, grappling and brutalizing one another beneath an enthroned authority scene at the neck. The work belongs to Cleon Peterson's recurring appropriation of ancient Greek vase painting as a vehicle for his ongoing meditation on cyclical violence and the abuse of power.
Why It Matters
The print crystallizes the central conceit of Peterson's mature work: that the brutality he depicts is not modern but eternal, encoded into the founding artifacts of Western civilization itself. By transposing his flat, high-contrast figures of beating and submission onto the form of an Attic amphora, complete with handles, foot and tiered narrative bands, he weaponizes the visual authority of antiquity, turning a museum object into an indictment. It sits squarely within the End of Empire vocabulary that anchors his most collected imagery, where classical form and present-day savagery collapse into one.
Collector Perspective
A 2015 screen print in an edition of 70, hand-signed and numbered in pencil in the lower margin. The compact edition size and the immediately legible vase format make this one of the more desirable Peterson works on paper, distinct from his larger red-and-black figural prints. The reduced black-and-white palette here reads as a graphic, gallery-friendly piece. Peterson prints in this run size trade actively in the secondary market; condition, full margins and intact pencil signature drive value.
Historical Context
Produced in 2015, during the period when Peterson's profile rose sharply on the back of his End of Empire body of work and his collaborations with Shepard Fairey and Obey. The Greek-vase motif recurs across his output of this era, drawing directly on Attic black-figure pottery and the long lineage of moralizing narrative imagery from antiquity through Hogarth. The era cemented his reputation for using classical and historical forms to frame contemporary violence and authority.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
It depicts a classical Greek black-figure amphora rendered in flat black and white, its body banded into friezes of Peterson's silhouetted figures fighting, clubbing and subduing one another, with an enthroned authority scene at the vessel's neck.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 70 impressions.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Works in this release are hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist in the lower margin.
What medium and series is this?
It is a screen print from 2015, part of Peterson's recurring Greek-vase imagery tied to his End of Empire vocabulary.
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.
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.