This drawing is a study for a detail of the painting Butterfly. The owner of the painting, Fred Walsh, asked Robert about the meaning of the butterfly. The artist told him the butterfly represents the fragility of love. The sudden appearance of the butterfly, whose colours are so pleasing and delightful, reminds us of love or passion: the sense of a momentous accident that catches us off guard and wins our attention, and yet, if one is not careful, or simply unlucky, love could disappear just as quickly. Technically, Robert has shaded the hand in soft tones built up of cross-hatching lines to contrast with the more intense and arresting black and white design of the butterfly.