Man Wading River at Night, Jules Verne Adventure Engraving c.1904

Reflecting the Edwardian era's obsession with exploration, survival, and the untamed wilderness beyond civilization's edge, this dramatic pen-and-ink engraving depicts a bearded man wading chest-deep through a dark river while a second figure stands gesturing urgently on the far bank beneath a massive, gnarled tree. The scene radiates tension and mystery — the inky water, stormy sky, and twisted branches conjure a world where nature itself becomes the adversary, hallmark of Jules Verne's scientific romances and their breathless adventure narratives.