A ballooning scene on a fan, late 18th century.

A ballooning scene painted onto a silk fan made with ivory carved sticks, showing a balloon, its car and two aeronauts. Public balloon ascents began to be held in pleasure gardens after the first succesful balloon trips in Paris during 1783. These events attracted huge crowds and led to an explosion of ballooniana, or balloon art, expresed in paintings, prints and decorated ceramics as well as many other forms.