Butterfly is an exploration of a romantic symbol or idea of a soul. This is how it could look or rather feel like, a feminine soul in particular, hence the painting has female figure who stand not for a particular earthy woman, but for a spirit of a woman, this butterfly is also subconsciously based on a Greek myth of the goddess of soul - psyche, who was often represented as a butterfly herself.
Regarding the more technical or tangible aspect of the painting, the juxtaposition of strong brushstrokes I think results in a powerful contrast between the idea of gentle, ephemeral feminine spirit and the stone-like, jewel-like character of the image. I think it visually stands for a possible contrast of emotions within one mind: a striving for a gentleness and ease, counterbalanced by strong or even violent emotions.
