Private collection
Date: 1899
Technique: Oil on canvas, 150 by 120cm
Painted in 1899, the work juxtaposes man-made technology with the all-encompassing grandeur of nature. The hot-air balloon, and its single human cargo, is overwhelmed by the tumultuous clouds and the pristine brightness of the setting sun. The clouds' outlines follow the curves and angles of tumbling women, all focusing on the foreign object that the hot-air balloon represents. The ambiguous and intensely personal dream imagery seen in this work is indicative of the influence of Symbolism at the turn of the century.
Source 1
Source 2
