Note: The text below is the transcript of the YouTube video above.
Mattise and Collioure in the South of France – Where Fauvism was born
So Matisse was totally broken and burnt out, and he basically ran away to this tiny fishing village in the far south of France… nine weeks later, he’d sparked Fauvism—a whole new art movement. But what made this tiny place so special? Today I’m taking you to see what captivated Matisse, and also to Perpignan, where Dalí had his famous ‘cosmic vision.
Hi, I’m Satomi, a Japanese artist. I quit my full-time job in London before heading to the south of France to start a new chapter and really focus on my creative work. Now, I’m filming to capture how each place and experience shapes my creativity. I share those insights—and sometimes curated travel guides—hoping they’ll spark ideas of your own.
I kept hearing people say that the light in the western part of southern France is different. Not just different from other countries, but different from anywhere else within southern France. And then, when I visited Henri Matisse’s Museum in Nice, I saw a painting labelled ‘Collioure.’ I’d never heard of this place before, but I thought—this is where Matisse came and revolutionised art. I had to see what they were talking about.
And then… you know how travel never goes according to plan? The famous light I came here specifically to see? Totally hidden behind clouds. I must admit, I was a little disappointed—but honestly, even under grey skies, I could still feel what André Derain meant when he wrote to a friend:
“It’s the light… a blond light, golden, which suppresses the shadows. It’s maddening work!”
Even through the clouds, there was something different about the way colours looked here.
So in 1905, Matisse arrived in Collioure completely broke and deeply discouraged. A financial scandal had left him as the sole provider for his family, and friends said he was ‘very short of money.’ But the village’s dazzling light and colourful harbour shook him awake.
He rented a cheap room with the younger André Derain on rue de Bellevue, and for nine weeks they experimented wildly – painting intensely coloured canvases in turquoise, magenta, bright green. The colours were so vibrant that when they exhibited their work in Paris, critics called them les Fauves – the wild beasts.
What really struck me about this story is that Matisse was in a tiny rented room, struggling financially… and yet he created something that changed art forever. It reminded me that you can create something powerful anywhere. It’s not about the perfect studio – it’s about your perspective, your ideas. That was honestly very encouraging for me.
And that’s how Fauvism was born – an art movement built on emotional colour rather than realism. Instead of painting shadows grey, they used purple or blue. Instead of natural skin tones, they used bright oranges and greens. It was like colour had finally been set free.
This isn’t just art history. It shows how a place can completely flip your creative world. In just 9 weeks, Matisse and Derain made over 150 works and transformed how we see colour forever.
And if you stroll through Collioure, you’ll still see that creative spirit. Hand-painted shop signs in joyful colours. No plastic, no neon. Often echoing the striped fishing boats that once inspired Matisse.
Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh also left Glasgow and moved to Port-Vendres in the 1920s, shifting his focus entirely to watercolours. He captured the luminous light of this region in a rare and beautiful series of 1920s paintings.
Collioure still buzzes with creative energy. Its Musée d’Art Moderne, housed in Villa Pams, holds over 1,600 works spanning from early 20th-century to contemporary art. Sadly, it was closed the day I visited, but just knowing that collection exists shows how deeply this town still values art.
Perpignan and Salvador Dalí
A short drive away is Perpignan, one of the largest towns in southern France, just 20 minutes from Collioure.
Perpignan has a curious connection to Salvador Dalí. It’s where he claimed to have a “cosmic vision” at the train station in 1963. He called it “the centre of the universe,” and was so struck by the experience that he even painted it.
Another hidden gem my friend showed me was Hôtel Pams, built in 1894 for the JOB cigarette paper family. It’s a neo-Louis XV mansion with an onyx staircase, painted ceilings, and a peaceful courtyard. Quiet, elegant, and absolutely worth a visit.
And something incredible happened while I was there. A woman who’d visited my booth at the Monaco Art Fair, we’d exchanged a few emails afterwards, turned out to live in Perpignan. We met up, and I also got to meet her friends. I really enjoyed their company while I was there.
In the next video, I’ll take you to one of my favourite towns in the South of France – Arles, a place forever tied to Van Gogh and the tragic moment that changed his life. So don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss it.
If you’re curious about the places that inspired me during this South of France journey, I’ve created a downloadable guide: The South of France – Travel Edition. You’ll find the link in the description.
And if you’d like to see more of what I’m working on, whether it’s new paintings, collaborations, or ongoing projects, you can find out more on my website and Instagram.
Have you ever experienced the sunlight on both the eastern and western sides of southern France? Did you feel a difference? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks so much for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one.
