The balloon seller
1870–1909
Medium
Color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 16 1/8 × 12 1/16 in. (41 × 30.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bella C. Landauer, 1926
Accession Number
26.28.91
Tags
Art Historical Context
Henri Patrice Dillon's *The Balloon Seller*, a vibrant color lithograph from 1870–1909, captures the charm of everyday urban life during France's Belle Époque. lively print, measuring 16 1/8 × 12 1/16 inches, depicts a balloon vendor amid men and women, their colorful orbs floating like festive dreams against a bustling street scene. Dillon, a skilled French illustrator, excelled in humorous and observational works that brought the vibrancy of Parisian streets to life. Chromolithography, the medium here, was revolutionary in the late 19th century, enabling mass-produced prints with rich, laye...