Monsieur Papillon

A whimsical colored pencil portrait depicting a stylized face with pink skin, green voluminous hair, and swirling blue decorative elements. The figure wears an oversized green polka-dotted bow tie with bold text inscribed in its center, rendered in bright greens, pinks, reds, and yellows.

Material

Mixed media on paper

Date

1999

Museum

Museum Het Valkhof
Monsieur Papillon — 1999 — Mixed media on paper — by Berend Strik

About the piece

Monsieur Papillon (Mr. Butterfly, 1999) by Berend Strik takes its title from the French word for butterfly — a creature that has symbolized transformation, soul, and lightness of being across cultures and centuries.

The butterfly motif connects to Strik's broader interest in metamorphosis — themes that resonate deeply with his own practice of transforming flat photographs into layered, tactile objects through textile intervention. The butterfly's dramatic life cycle — from caterpillar to cocoon to winged creature — mirrors the transformation that Strik enacts on his photographs.

The butterfly also appears in the work of artists from Marcel Duchamp (who used it in his work) to contemporary fashion. Strik's use of French in the title ("Monsieur Papillon") suggests a particular cultural reference, adding a continental elegance to this symbol of transformation.

Sources: Galerie Fons Welters

Monsieur Papillon — 1999 — Mixed media on paper — by Berend Strik
Monsieur Papillon
A whimsical colored pencil portrait depicting a stylized face with pink skin, green voluminous hair, and swirling blue decorative elements. The figure wears an oversized green polka-dotted bow tie with bold text inscribed in its center, rendered in bright greens, pinks, reds, and yellows.

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