The Perilous Situation of Major Mony, When He Fell into the Sea with His Balloon on the 23rd of July, 1785, Off the Coast of Yarmouth; Most Providentially Discovered and Taken Up by the Argus Sloop, After Having Remained in the Water During Five Hours

Art Historical Context

In the late 18th century, hot air ballooning captivated the public imagination as a daring symbol of human ambition and technological wonder. This dramatic mezzotint engraving captures a real-life mishap on July 23, 1785, when Major J. Moneyeted into the North Sea off Yarmouth England, after his balloon failed. Miraculously, he clung to his gondola for five hours before being spotted and rescued by the sloop *Argus*. Painted by Philip Reinagle, a noted British animal and landscape artist, and engraved by John Murphy, the print vividly dramatizes the chaos: turbulent waves, a sinking balloon, and the heroic rescue amid stormy seas. Mezzotint, a "dark manner" intaglio technique perfected in Britain, was ideal for this scene's moody atmosphere. Murphy's second state of two impressions features rich, velvety blacks and subtle tonal gradations, evoking the peril and drama far beyond line engravings. Measuring nearly 20 by 24 inches on the plate, it was produced as affordable art for a balloon-mania public, blending spectacle with survival tale. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired 2010), this work highlights the era's fusion of science, adventure, and print culture, immortalizing Money's "perilous situation" as both cautionary legend and thrilling entertainment.