Catalan Boats poster

The barque catalane, or simply “catalane,” is a traditional fishing boat from the north-western Mediterranean, recognisable by its large triangular lateen sail and pointed stern. Less than ten metres long, it was used in the early 20th century to net sardines and anchovies along the Côte Vermeille. It is this iconic vessel of the Roussillon coast that the Foliove Catalan Boats poster celebrates.

They are simply called “barques catalanes” or “catalanes.” Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, similar vessels go by other names (bettes in the Gulf of Lion, tartanes and so on), but on the Côte Vermeille the Catalan name has stuck. The best known, “Notre-Dame de la Consolation” (1913), is associated with the fishermen of Collioure.

A lateen sail is a large triangular sail carried on a long yard set at an angle to the mast. It enabled Catalan boats to sail efficiently even in light winds, as is often the case in the Mediterranean. In calm conditions, fishermen sometimes added a small foresail known as a “polacre” (or jib).

Their hulls are painted in striking colours — deep blues, vivid reds and sunny yellows that stand out against the white of the lateen sail. These bright tones are one of the hallmarks of Roussillon harbours, from Collioure to Le Barcarès. The Catalan Boats poster faithfully reproduces this Mediterranean palette.

They can be admired mainly in Collioure, moored at the foot of the bell tower, as well as in Port-Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer and Le Barcarès. Banyuls, Collioure and Le Barcarès are the three ports where they were traditionally built. Today, associations restore them and sail them at lateen-sail gatherings.

The poster comes in five sizes: A4 21×30 cm (€13), A3 30×42 cm (€20), B2 50×70 cm (€30), B1 70×100 cm (€65) and B0 100×140 cm (€85). From A3 upwards, it is a limited edition of 200 prints worldwide.

It is an original illustration by Marie Troff, printed in France on 170 g/m² art paper by an Imprim’Vert-certified printer in Elne, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. It is delivered unframed, rolled in a recycled cardboard tube for safe shipping.

Yes. Beyond the poster, this illustration is also available as a postcard, a magnet and a hand-sewn XXL tote bag made in the studio. Something for every budget to offer a memento of the Côte Vermeille to lovers of Catalonia and its fishing villages.