Andy Warhol’s fascination with repetition is clear even in his earliest works. In "Happy Butterfly Day" (circa 1955), a rare watercolor utilizing offset lithography, Warhol is just beginning to explore the theme visually. Here, Warhol fills the sheet with butterflies, each individual creature distinct. Variations in markings, wing shape, size, and coloring make each insect unique, but their uniform arrangement in neat, even rows foreshadows the themes he went on to explore that later revolutionized the art world.

To create this image, Warhol cut the individual butterflies into gum erasers, which he then stamped at random. Once he found an arrangement that he liked, he created several impressions of the same image. He then individualized each impression with handcoloring. This image would later be reproduced on commercial folders as a promotion for Vanity Fair Lingerie in 1956. This print typifies Warhol's early work during his years as a commercial artist, characterized by a cartoonish, illustrative style. This piece is handcolored with washes of blush pink, vibrant yellow-orange and beige.

This particular piece was given by Warhol to a well-known figure in New York fashion, who later gave the work to its current owner.