Journey to the Center of the Earth 1864

Edouard Riou made this illustration for Jules Verne's novel in France during the late 19th century. The image offers a glimpse into a subterranean world where oversized mushrooms dominate the landscape, dwarfing the two tiny explorers in the foreground. This illustration reflects the cultural fascination with scientific exploration and discovery of its time. Verne’s novels, including this one, fueled public imagination. We see the beginnings of the genre of science fiction, one that encourages speculation about what lays beyond the visible world. Riou's work would have appeared in the illustrated editions of Verne's novels. He was providing visual cues and details to accompany the text. These sorts of illustrations contributed to an emerging sense of wonder and scientific advancement, but also, I think, to a fear of the unknown, and what lies outside the norms of our reality. To properly understand this work, we could benefit from researching the culture of scientific illustration at the time. Understanding the history of publishing and the reception of Verne’s work would also be helpful.