Albert Robida's Baron Munchausen Flies by Giant Musical Instrument

Startlingly surreal for any era, this pen-and-ink masterwork depicts Baron Munchausen suspended mid-air, clinging upside-down to an enormous ornate stringed instrument — a lute or theorbo — while cannonballs arc through the sky below and a fortress is bombarded on the landscape. The figure's spurred boots and period costume contrast wildly with the absurd mode of flight. Signed lower right by the artist, the draftsmanship is meticulous and fantastical, blending Baroque ornament with proto-science-fiction aerial warfare.