The Brave
1870s
In this dramatic 1870s illustration, a robed figure stands boldly in a small boat, arms wide open to the moonlit sky, delivering an absolution with 'pious fervor' just as the caption describes. Beside him, a crouching companion seems overwhelmed by the intense moment on the dark water. This piece brings a scene from James Fenimore Cooper's novel *The Bravo* to life, created by Felix Octavius Carr Darley. Darley was one of America's first successful full-time illustrators, and his detailed work helped define the visual look of classic American literature for generations of readers.
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