Xavier de Langlais

Xavier de Langlais which signed its works into Breton Langleiz is a painter, an engraver and a writer, born the April 26th 1906 with Sarzeau and died in Rennes the June 15th 1975.

Artistic course

After studies at the schools of the Art schools of Nantes (1922) and of Paris (1926 - 1928). It is during this stay in Paris that this new distance brought it closer to its Brittany, it benefitted from its free moments to learn only the Breton in the books. Its friendship for Xavier Haas, which he had known with Sarzeau, was reinforced, their common taste for engraving and the reception of the Haas family in Paris created bonds until their death. It carries out its military service with Fontainebleau, from where it leaves Marshal-of-home-chief. He seeks his way in an art nouveau which would be in bond with its love of the Brittany and launches out as painter, decorator of churches, and in technical research (Lap, mixes of ceramics and cement). It Marie in 1931 with Annick Gazet of Chatelier (of which he will have 4 children). In 1948, he becomes professor of drawing at the School of the Art schools of Rennes and made there all its career. He is illustrator, mainly by the technique of the engraved wood of his works and many works concerning the Brittany.

He writes a work entitled Technique of the oil-base paint which still makes authority and was translated into several languages.

Militant and Breton artist

Sympathizer of the Breton national Parti, it illustrates books that this one made publish. In 1924, it had contacted the Unvaniezh Seiz Breur, movement of Breton artists brought together by Jeanne Malivel and Rene-Yves Creston.

With James Boil, architect and member of the Seiz Breur , it animated in 1935 the workshop of Breton art An Droellenn (the Spiral) Breton Atelier of Christian art. He is the author of religious murals (vault of the Saint-Joseph college to Lannion, Grand seminar of Saint-Brieuc, Our-Lady-of-the-Sea with Étel, church of Richardais) and of “ways of cross” (La Baule).

He was a prolific writer in Breton and was the burning promoter of a spelling reform which would make it possible to include the specific forms of Breton vannetais that he practiced. The discussions between writers whom it organizes with Vannes in 1936 will lead only in 1941 to the spelling reform known as peurunvan. In 1941 it decides to leave for Rennes where it will be critical artistic and literary and person in charge of the chronicle in Breton of the regionalistic newspaper with tendency petainist Brittany of Yann Fouéré.

It had met Roparz Hemon in 1926 in Paris and had been integrated into the writer group of the literary review into Breton Gwalarn . It composes of the plays, of the poems and of the novels and sticks especially to the Cycle arthurien. It had also taken part in the rebirth of the edition and the diffusion of the books into Breton in 1949 and had taken part in the Breton-speaking school of summer Kamp etrekeltiek rear vrezhonegerien created in 1948 and which always exists.

It helped with the diffusion of books in Breton with Ar B.A.L.B. He will be president of the Celtic Cercle of Rennes, cofounder of the Camp of Breton-speaking with Vefa de Bellaing and Ronan Huon, he did not cease being devoted to the cause of Breton nationalism.

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