# Butterfly over Water

- By: Frederic Edwin Church (American, 1826–1900)
- Date: 1865–75
- Medium: Brush and oil on tan paperboard
- Classification: Studies (visual works)
- Dimensions: 14.7 × 29.5 cm (5 13/16 × 11 5/8 in.)
- Culture: USA
- Credit line: Gift of Louis P. Church
- Museum: [Smithsonian Institution](https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/view/objects/asitem/id/22621)
- Rights: [CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/1bcc88b8b19395c0adcef31a550a1487.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Sketch of a butterfly floating over water, likely at dusk. The butterfly has a blue and a nearly black wing, both with yellow bands, and reflects a tint of orange in the water below. At lower right, a semi-submerged tree branch with moss on it catches the red light of the setting sun. Nearby trees and vegetation are reflected in the rippling water.