In Jules Verne's early science fiction classic From the Earth to the Moon, readers had to wait five years to learn the fate of the story's heroes. The continuation of their adventure was enhanced by a series of wood engravings, arguably the first to depict space travel on a scientific basis. These illustrations were created by French artists Émile-Antoine Bayard and Alphonse de Neuville, with Bayard's space-related contributions highlighted in this post. Despite the brilliance of these space illustrations, Bayard is best known today for his sketch of the sad-eyed Cosette sweeping, which he created for the 1865 edition of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. This image has become iconic, particularly in the promotion of the popular musical Les Misérables.