The Unusual Story About The Invention of an Air Ballon By the Great Scientist Montgolfier, About a Silk Skirt and the Hot Brazier 4

1

Days and nights in his office, On the high stool, Among books and drawings, He wondered about how to teach people to fly under the sky. (After all, nobody had been there). But, up to this point, his mind has been restless. Montgolfier sits glumly.

2

This page is crowded with all sorts of tools strewn on the floor and papers across the desk. It invokes the mythos of the genius scientist.

3

The new tools are coloured in a bold yellow and blue with strong constructivist lines, similar to many children’s books of this era. They signify the age of modernity.

4

The desk and quill are prominently in black, with much detail, perhaps to indicate their antiquity and obsolescence.

5

the best ink

6

The cobweb on the desk emphasizes how long it has been since the desk was used. It is succeeded by modern tools and now, by the hot air balloon.

7

There is a thematic distortion of object sizes in the book, meant to add playfulness to the illustrations. The pipe is always drawn incredibly large in comparison to its actual size, possibly, as a poke at French stereotypes. It is also one of numerous smoke emitting objects in the book, along with the stove, the house, and the balloon.

8

Montgolfier is drawn here to resemble Isaac Newton, as he ponders on the best way to invent human flight.