Jules Tavernier - A Balloon in Mid-Air (1875)

First time I've remembered to post on my Cake Day, and I wanted to share something I love. Jules Tavernier was a 19th century french painter who illustrated for Harper's Magazine in the 1870's-80's, traveled across the US, stayed in San Francisco and Monterey for a while, and then moved to Hawaii and began painting volcanos erupting at night. This is my favorite of his works, and I saw it on display at an exhibit at, I believe, the de Young a few years back. The tour guide said nearly no one notices that there appears to be no source of flame to keep the air in the balloon hot. What do you think, artistic license? A mistake? Back then they just heated the air once to facilitate takeoff?

#cattax #sadnugget