. EMPIRE. FLOTILLA BOULOGNE YEAR 14. Precious collection of twelve plates painted with gouache on parchment, representing twelve models of boats (military ships, commercial ships and fishing boats), which should have been used by the Ministry of the Imperial Navy, directed by Denis DECRES, in view of the invasion of England, desired by Napoleon I. Each plate on parchment is decorated with the name of the ship, in gothic characters, and some characteristics written in italics. The set is preceded by a f. containing the list of ships, handwritten, on paper, a f. of title written on parchment, a dedication to the Emperor, two pages written in black ink on laid paper. Each painting is numbered and preceded by a framed parchment leaf. The whole is preserved in a vol. in 24 oblong and bound in long-grained red morocco, smooth spine decorated, lace on the boards, gilt edges. Strictly period binding. The dedication leaf bears the signature of B. NOGUES, and is dated 13 December 1807. EXCEPTIONAL DOCUMENT, first of all by the subject of the work, but also by the quality of the drawings. One sees thus that in 1807, Napoleon was still thinking of invading England, already isolated because of the Continental Blockade imposed by Paris since 1806. The whole is very fresh; only the binding has some defects.