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| The Scottish Charles Rennie Mackintosh stayed at the Hôtel du Commerce in Port-Vendres during the winters of 1925 and 1926, at the end of his international architect and designer carrier. Inspired by the light of the town and distancing himself from the painters of Collioure and Céret, he made at Port-Vendres different watercolours representing the town. His work shows in its construction his being an architect. Some of these paintings are shown in museums all around the world and some belong to private collections. His last wish was to have his ashes scattered in the bay of Port-Vendres. He I said to have spent here the happiest years of his life with his partner Margaret, a painter just like him. |
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| The CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH TOUR Around PORT-VENDRES A path that goes around the port, shows reproductions of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s watercolours exactly where he painted them. A leaflet is available at the tourist office The trale starts at the mole (the breakwater with the port light at the harbour entrance) where Margaret Mackintosh is believed to have scattered Charles Rennie Mackintosh ashes. It finishes above the Fort Mauresque at the north; direction Collioure. Details of the 13 paintings in situ : |
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| N°1 / PORT-VENDRES (1925-1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) Port-Vendres was painted from the hillside to the left of the road before passing through the rock |
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| N°2 / FORT MAILLY (1927 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) The Fort Mailly (in ruins today) was one of the his favourite subjectrles Rennie Mackintosh. This painting appears to be a combination of two positions. |
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| N°3 / THE ROCK (1927 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) Situated on the path "sentier des Redoutes", this watercolor shows the rock on the Béar cove. On the background, the end of "rue du soleil" (Sun street) |
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| N°4 / THE ROAD THROUGH THE ROCKS (1925 - 1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) Fort Mailly and the road that goes through the rocks |
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| N°5 / THE FORT (1925-1926 Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) Once agains, The Fort Mailly from the Cap Béar road. |
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| N°6 / THE LIGHTHOUSE (1925-1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) On the "sentier des Redoutes", The Fort Fanal which is the light at the entrance north of the port |
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| N°7 / LA RUE DU SOLEIL (1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) The watercolor was painted from within what is now the commercial port, which is closed to the public and so is marked outside the dock gates. |
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| N°8 / A SOUTHERN PORT (1925-1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) In front of the Tourist Office. One of the first Charles Rennie Mackintosh paintaings in Port-Vendres |
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| N°9 / PORT-VENDRES (quai des Douanes) (1925-1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) View of the Quay "des Douanes" (Customs). |
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| N°10 / STEAMER MOORED AT QUAYSIDE (1925-1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) One of the few times Mackintosh ever included any human figures. |
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| N°11 / LA VILLE (1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) Painted from the hillside above the "rue du soleil" (Arago Street) looking back at the quai Forgas and the Rue Jules Pams |
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| N°12 / THE LITTLE BAY (1927 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) Now the little bay is partly a boatyard and partly the fichmarket but the staircase on the right of the paiting is still there |
| N°13 / FORT DE LA MAURESQUE (1925-1926 - Watercolor - Charles Rennie Mackintosh) The Fort Mauresque, on the north side of the harbour entrance is now only marked by the bases of a few gun emplacements |
| For more information about the residence of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Mackintosh in Roussillon (France), you can buy the bilingual book (french-english) "MISTER MACKINTOSH" at the tourist office. On sale 23 €. The book chronicles the travels and the paintings of the artist in the Pyrenées-Orientales from 1923 to 1927 http://www.crmackintoshfrance.com/ |
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A historical Port
