Pál Szinyei Merse
Hungarian painter Szinyei was seriously intrigued by technical innovations – during his academic years he tried to build an airplane. So when his brother-in-law invited him on a hot air balloon trip he was immediately electrified. He would have gladly joined him, for a man flying in the air need not be interested in the trifling affairs of his fellowmen swarming on the ground.
The floating airship, overcoming gravity, became a symbol representing the freedom of the human thought and creativity. 1887 was a difficult year for the artist, and his problems culminated in a divorce. For the next few years, he concentrated on raising his son Félix, who had remained with him. When Félix left home, his friends campaigned for him to start painting again. For the rest of his life, he painted incessantly, although he was still very critical of himself and produced fewer paintings per year than before.