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, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
of Alsacian descent, he is most associated with
Breton nationalist 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 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
in Alsace, which partly disabled him. Shortly afterwards his father was gassed during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
[Xavier Haas, Biographie](_blank)
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In 1919 he was taken to Sarzeau, in Morbihan
The Morbihan ( , ; ) is a departments of France, department in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Gulf of Morbihan, Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton ...
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.La Baule
La Baule-Escoublac (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Écoubiâ'', , ), commonly referred to as La Baule, is a communes of France, commune in Loire-Atlantique, a departments of France, department in Pays de la Loire, western France.
History
Seaside re ...
(Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Louére-Atantique''; ; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', ) is a departments of France, department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. ...
).
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
''Danio'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family (biology), family Cyprinidae found in South Asia, South and Southeast Asia, commonly kept in aquarium, aquaria. They are generally characterised by a pattern of horizontal stripes, rows ...
's history of Brittany.
Along with other members of Seiz Breur, during World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
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