Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Cleon Peterson Print Index
Revolution Is A Mother Who Eats Its Children (Bone Tondo)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
A 2024 hand-pulled screen print in an edition of 100, distinguished by its circular tondo format cut to 24 x 24 inches on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper. The bone colorway and the aphoristic title "Revolution Is A Mother Who Eats Its Children" push Peterson into overtly historical, philosophical territory.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Limited edition of 100. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The circle-cut tondo is a rare formal choice in Peterson's editions, and the quotation, a famous formulation about revolutions turning on their own, deepens the work into a meditation on the cyclical self-destruction of political upheaval. Form and text converge to make the circle itself a symbol of that closed, devouring loop.
Collector Perspective
The physical tondo cut makes this a standout object within any Peterson holding, and circular editioned prints are uncommon enough to attract collectors seeking distinctive formats. At an edition of 100 with a layered, intellectually loaded title, it offers both visual novelty and conceptual heft in a single sheet.
Historical Context
The tondo has deep art-historical roots in Renaissance devotional painting, where the circle framed sacred subjects. Peterson subverts that tradition, filling the sacred shape with revolutionary cannibalism. The title paraphrases a long-standing observation, often traced to the French Revolution, about movements consuming their own.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2024
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 24 x 24 inches; Hand-pulled screen print; On 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Limited edition of 100.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Cleon Peterson's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2024 and attributes the edition to Cleon Peterson (Self Released).
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Cleon Peterson (Self Released). That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Cleon Peterson — official site — Cleon Peterson studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Cleon Peterson — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Cleon Peterson (Q124215748) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What is a tondo?
A circular artwork; this print is cut into a round 24 x 24 inch format.
What does the title mean?
It refers to revolutions turning on and destroying their own participants, a classic political observation.
What is the edition size?
A limited edition of 100.
What is the colorway?
A bone palette on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper.
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