The idea of conquering the air has occupied the imagination not only of scientists but also of artists for thousands of years; just think of Leonardo da Vinci’s aircraft structure plans.
Pál Szinyei Merse was also seriously interested in technical innovations, but in his picture Balloon, he did not capture the sheer idea, but the realization itself. The picture was inspired by his brother-in-law Béla Probstner’s airship trip in 1878. The original title of the picture clearly shows how much the adventurous brother-in-law (who even lived in Japan for four years) influenced the painter: “Béla Probstner bids farewell to Sáros”. Who knows, maybe when painting the picture, Szinyei Merse also daydreamed about saying goodbye to Sáros and the worries of everyday life.