COLLIOURE

The coastal town of Collioure in Occitanie has inspired some of the world’s most famous painters to put brush to canvas and it’s easy to see why, as Vicky Leigh discovers

- Vicky Leigh

While the Côte d’Azur needs no introduction thanks to its A-list celebrity connections, the Côte Vermeille in neighbouring Occitanie might not be quite as familiar. Yet this is where you will find Collioure, a town that makes the length of coastline stretching from Argelès-sur-Mer to Cerbère equally worthy of attention. Not only is Collioure often referred to as the ‘Jewel of the Côte Vermeille’, its beauty has inspired some of the world’s most famous artists to pick up a paintbrush.

Art de vivre

“No sky in all of France is more blue than that of Collioure,” said Matisse, who was captivated by the town’s ‘special light’ when he arrived here in 1905 with fellow artist André Derain. Both were inspired to create what became some of their most recognisable work and marked the beginning of Fauvism (the Maison du Fauvisme on Rue de la Prud’Homie is dedicated to the movement).

Other artists including Raoul Dufy, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Picasso soon joined them, cementing Collioure’s reputation as the Cité des Peintres.