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(NAVAL; French.)
Tableau de la Marine de France divisée par Escadres, 1787.
Elegant, superbly-finished presentation tabulation of the strength of the French navy at this historically crucial period, just four years after its vital role in the American War of Independence, and two before the outbreak of the French Revolution. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, as the French state set about systematizing and centralizing its practices, more plainly-presented versions of these statistical digests were circulated for purely informational purposes. However, this beautifully finished example was clearly produced for prominent display or high level presentation, the arms of the duc d'Artois - Philippe Egalité, later Charles X - suggesting that it was commissioned either by him, or for him. Separate tables show the composition of the fleets based at the three departements - Brest, Toulon and Rochefort - showing the respective squadrons and their pavillons, or pennants, and in terms of ships of the line and auxiliary ships, armament and manning, all ships being named and their launch dates given. The central panels give a comparison of the strengths of the peace- and war-time establishments; tables of the numbers and distribution of Marine forces and Ministry port officials with a coloured uniform schema; and a Recapitulation Général, a general summary, which includes the naval hierarchy under de Castries as Minister, with Admiral duc de Penthièvre, and two veterans of the recently-concluded war with Britain, Vice Admirals d'Estaing and Bailli de Suffren. Extremely handsome and highly unusual.
Large landscape single-sheet (1030 × 690 mm). Entirely calligraphic table in brown, red and green ink; broad gilt rules; handsome water-colour sprigs of flowers; coloured squadron pennants, heightened in gold; and large central arms of the duc d'Artois. Light browning, some short edge-splits, lower corners with small repairs, a little staining in the upper margin, but overall very good.
