Jules Verne 'Around the Moon' Weightlessness Scene — Italian Edition, 1870s
Like Édouard Riou's celebrated engravings for Verne's earlier Voyages Extraordinaires, this dynamic wood engraving captures the comic chaos of zero gravity aboard the projectile in 'Autour de la Lune.' Three men, a dog, and poultry float and tumble in a cramped interior as they cross the lunar neutral gravity zone — a brilliantly visceral depiction of weightlessness decades before it was scientifically verified, rendered with theatrical Victorian cross-hatching and kinetic energy.
The chaotic floating figures, animals, and flying top hat create genuine visual excitement, but the genteel Victorian engraving style keeps it restrained. A curious and charming scene rather than a grabber.
“78 INTORNO ALLA LUNA. Ma perche questo fenomeno avvenga, bisogna che noi abbiamo prima passato la linea neutra. — Passare la linea neutra! esclamò Michele. Quand' è”
