San Francisco Silverspot Butterfly

Screen print titled San Francisco Silverspot Butterfly from the Endangered Species series by Andy Warhol. Published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York. The work is not signed or numbered, but has copyright stamps from Feldman and Warhol on the reverse. These "printer proofs" were a reference for the actual print, and were used for exhibitions and to promote the series. This silkscreen was issued in addition to the edition of 150. In 1983, Warhol was commissioned by his friend and publisher Ron Feldman and his wife Freyda to create the Endangered Species series to raise environmental awareness. Both Freyda and Ronald were celebrated political activists who were very active philanthropists. Warhol affectionately called this series his "animals in makeup," given the bold colors he used to depict the animals as large as life. Literature: "Andy Warhol Prints : a catalogue raisonné" by Feldman and Schellmann, 2003.