Vanishing X (Monarch Butterfly)

Holly Downing

This hand-colored mezzotint is from a series of prints Holly Downing has been doing featuring vanishing species, in this case, invertebrates. Each impression is printed in black and then hand-colored by the artist. There may be slight variations between impressions.

The Monarch Butterfly is one of the most recognizable and well-studied butterflies on the plant. The Monarch, which requires milkweed on which to lay its eggs and feed its caterpillars, has been in sharp decline for some years. Some populations have a remarkable migration from Mexico to the U.S. east and west coasts. A multi-state conservation plan was established in 2020, and the Monarch is considered a candidate for the federally endangered species list.