Xavier Haas, (1907–1950) was a French painter and engraver. Though born in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

of Alsacian descent, he is most associated with

Breton nationalist Breton nationalism ( Breton: ''roadelouriezh Brezhoneg'', French: ''nationalisme Breton'') is a form of regional nationalism associated with the region of Brittany in France. The political aspirations of Breton nationalists include the desire ...

art and design.

Early life

When he was a child Haas contracted

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

in Alsace, which partly disabled him. Shortly afterwards his father was gassed during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

.Xavier Haas, Biographie
/ref> In 1919 he was taken to Sarzeau, in Morbihan Brittany, for a long stay in the hamlet of Lan Hoëdic to recuperate from the effects of polio. While there he met Xavier de Langlais, who became his lifelong friend. Haas participated in the founding of the ''Association des paralysés de France'' (French Association of the Paralyzed) and its newspaper ''Faire Face'' (Face Up).

Brittany

Haas studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Returning to Brittany, he joined the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur in 1936. At the ''Exposition Internationale de Paris'' in 1937, he created a "diorama of Brittany" for the Pavilion of Brittany. He also participated in the Breton Christian Art Workshop, founded in 1929 by James Bouillé and Xavier de Langlais. As part of their work in 1936 he created the frames for the Stations of the Cross of the church Our Lady of

La Baule La Baule-Escoublac (; br, Ar Baol-Skoubleg, ), commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department, Pays de la Loire, western France. A century-old seaside resort in southern Brittany with villas, casino, luxury h ...

( Loire-Atlantique). As an illustrator, Haas produced mostly monochrome engravings, but also made multi-block colour prints. He illustrated over 60 stories in the journal "La Bretagne" and a large number of stories and poems in the children's magazine "Ololé". He also illustrated Danio's history of Brittany. Along with other members of Seiz Breur, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Haas was associated with the collaborationist Breton National Party. He illustrated their literature during this period. He had a specially close friendship with the composer Georges Arnoux and the Alsatian painter Georges Cornelius, who was based at Ploubazlanec in Brittany. Xavier de Langlais said of him, "Beneath his frail appearance, he hid a heart of rare richness. His heart was simple and its affection certain. He was, above all, a friend."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hass, Xavier 1907 births 1950 deaths Engravers from Paris Breton nationalists French illustrators 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French male painters French decorative artists Breton artists