Folding fan with leaf of silk, on which in gouache a group at a love altar with burning heart and turtledoves and on both sides the balloon of the Montgolfier brothers surrounded by metallic sequins, on a mount of bone inlaid with 'métal en quatre couleurs'

Folding fan, with a leaf of silk on which in gouache a company at a love altar with burning heart and turtledoves and on both sides the balloon of the Montgolfier brothers surrounded by metal lovers, on a mount of bone inlaid with 'métal en quatre couleurs'. At the beginning of the 1780s, silk and satin fan leaves decorated with lovers and paillettes were very much in fashion in France. Most of the surviving fans '(éventail) au ballon' therefore have a leaf of beige silk, painted representations and decorations of coloured or uncoloured metal sequins. On the back of this single leaf, mounted à l'anglaise, the underdrawing is still visible. The historical moment of the first balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers, on December 1, 1783, is usually depicted with the half-netted, striped balloon used for the flight, under which a boat-shaped gondel with the brothers, each holding a stick with a flag in their hand.