French school circa 1700 Parade in the port of Toulon with the Réale and the Royal-Louis alongside the quay Pen and black ink, grey wash, over pencil lines on two assembled sheets (Restored tear) Parade in the harbour of Toulon, pen and black ink, grey wash, pencil, French School, ca. 1700 60 x 113 cm (23.62 x 44.49 in.) Comment: The discovery of these two large, masterly and exemplary sheets offers us an unprecedented opportunity to immerse ourselves in the hectic life of the port of Toulon during the glorious era of the royal shipyards. Our two drawings illustrate festivities held on the quayside, and both provide an impressive amount of detail that is as instructive as it is entertaining. Although the theme and the use of powerful grey washes initially lead us to think of Pierre Puget, the rapid execution, which lacks meticulousness, and the lively execution of the costumes allow us to date these sheets to around 1700. This first sheet shows a procession heading towards two perfectly identifiable ships, a galley and a first-rate vessel: the Réale and the Royal-Louis. We will look at the description of the royal galley at greater length in the entry for the next batch. Construction of the Royal-Louis began in 1668 and the ship remained in operation until the early 1690s, providing a valuable terminus ante quem for our sheet. Although two drawings1 by Pierre Puget meticulously illustrate the stern of the ship and confirm our identification, it was the sculptor François Girardon who provided the sketch for the decoration of the ship's stern. This shows the importance given to the navy at the wish of the king, since the greatest artists in the kingdom were placed at the service of the Toulon shipyard. 1 - see Klaus Herding, Pierre Puget (1620-1694), Dijon, 2023, p.161, fig.288 and 289