Seiz Breur
Encyclopedia
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. Although it adopted the symbolic name seiz breur, meaning seven brothers in the Breton language
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
, this did not refer to the number of members, but to the title of a folk-story. At its height it had fifty members united as the "Unvaniezh Seiz Breur" (Union of the Seven Brothers).
Though predominantly dedicated to the visual arts, the group also included writers, composers and architects. It is recognised today as an initiator of modern Celto
Celtic art
Celtic art is the art associated with the peoples known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre-history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient peoples whose language is uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic similarities with speakers of Celtic...
-Breton art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, but its memory has been marred by its association with Nazi ideology and collaborationism.
Origins
Decorator
Decorator can refer to:*a house painter and decorator*Interior decoration*Decorator pattern in object-oriented programming*Function decorators, in Python*The Decorator, a 1920 film starring Oliver Hardy...
and engraver, Jeanne Malivel
Jeanne Malivel
Jeanne Malivel was a Breton designer and illustrator who inspired the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur.Originally from Loudéac, she revived the art of woodblock printing in her illustrations for the Breton nationalist book The History of our Brittany by Jeanne Coroller-Danio in 1922...
(1895–1926), played an important role in paving the way for the movement's foundation. Her early work revived the tradition of wood engraving
Wood engraving
Wood engraving is a technique in printmaking where the "matrix" worked by the artist is a block of wood. It is a variety of woodcut and so a relief printing technique, where ink is applied to the face of the block and printed by using relatively low pressure. A normal engraving, like an etching,...
to illustrate the book L'Histoire de notre Bretagne by Jeanne Coroller-Danio
Jeanne Coroller-Danio
Jeanne Coroller-Danio was a Breton nationalist and writer. She is also known as Jeanne Coroller and Jeanne Chassin du Guerny . Her best known pen-name was Danio, but she published her work under various pseudonyms: J.C...
. Malivel's work was picked up by the painter and engraver René-Yves Creston
René-Yves Creston
René-Yves Creston , born René Pierre Joseph Creston, was a Breton artist, designer and ethnographer who founded the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur...
, along with his wife Suzanne Creston and the architect James Bouillé
James Bouillé
James Bouillé was a French architect based in Brittany.-Biography:Bouillé was born in Guingamp He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, until he was mobilized after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914...
. These three young Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
artists met in 1923 at a Pardon
Pardon (ceremony)
A Pardon is a typically Breton form of pilgrimage and one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism in Brittany. Of very ancient origin, probably dating back to the conversion of the country by the Celtic monks, it is comparable to the parades associated with Saint Patrick's Day...
in Le Folgoët
Le Folgoët
Le Folgoët is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-References:** ;-External links:* *...
, and decided to work together at creating a modern form of Breton art, combining the best of the traditional with avant-garde styles.
Name
The name they chose refers to Ar Seiz Breur (The Seven Brothers), a folk-tale collected and published by Malivel in its Gallo languageGallo language
Gallo is a regional language of France. Gallo is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. It is the historic language of the region of Upper Brittany and some neighboring portions of Normandy, but today is spoken by only a small minority of the population, having been largely superseded by...
form. It tells the story of beautiful and virtuous young woman who finds her lost seven brothers, but is then victimised by an evil witch who turns the brothers into cows. One of the cows is a small Breton cow and "the young girl always loved best the Breton one". She is seen by the king who marries her, but the witch throws her into a precipice. The witch also tries to make the king kill the Breton cow. However, the cows lead the king to their lost sister, who is restored, and the brothers regain human form. The story was interpreted as a metaphor for devotion to Brittany and of threats to its existence.
Early history
The movement arose from ideas broadly similar to the Arts and Crafts MovementArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
inflected by the earlier activities in Brittany of the Synthetists
Synthetism
Synthetism is a term used by post-Impressionist artists like Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard and Louis Anquetin to distinguish their work from Impressionism. Earlier, Synthetism has been connected to the term Cloisonnism, and later to Symbolism...
of the Pont-Aven School
Pont-Aven School
Pont-Aven School is a term occupied by works of art iconographically due to Pont-Aven and its surroundings. Originally the term was focusing works of the artists' colony emerging there since the 1850s, and some decades later the work of the group of painters gathering around the artist Paul...
. It was based on the idea that traditional Breton art, so rich in the past, had become stagnant for some of the following reasons:
- The spread of non-Breton styles encouraged by the influence of the mass media, such as "Saint Sulpice" style statues replacing the old-style polychrome wooden statues in churches; needleworkNeedleworkNeedlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework...
patterns copied from ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian papers replacing traditional costume designs. - Monuments to the fallen of World War One were becoming standardised (chosen from a catalogue of monumental clichés: PoiluPoiluPoilu is a warmly informal term for a French World War I infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. The term came into popular usage in France during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive citizen armies, though the term grognard was also common. It is still widely used as a term of...
, or Gallic roosterGallic roosterThe Gallic rooster is an unofficial national symbol of France as a nation .-France:...
, in a dubious style badly adapted to local architecture and stone).
The group's goal was not just to fossilize traditional art and design, but to open the way for artistic plurality in a variety of different disciplines: Architecture; Craft; Design; Literature; Music; Painting; Sculpture.
- wood carvingWood carvingWood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
, faienceFaienceFaience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
, stonewareStonewareStoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware with a fine texture. Stoneware is made from clay that is then fired in a kiln, whether by an artisan to make homeware, or in an industrial kiln for mass-produced or specialty products...
, stained glass windows, sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, ironworkIronworkIronwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil or architectural feature made of iron especially used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the Hittites who first knew how to extract it and develop weapons...
, cabinetmaking, embroideryEmbroideryEmbroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
, weavingWeavingWeaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, frescoFrescoFresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
, illustrationIllustrationAn illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, typographyTypographyTypography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, etc., - using new materialMaterialMaterial is anything made of matter, constituted of one or more substances. Wood, cement, hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to...
, such as concreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, or new techniques, such as photocollage or cinemaFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... - using different methods of diffusion: from books to postcardPostcardA postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s, via stampPostage stampA postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s, calendarCalendarA calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
s, jewelleryJewelleryJewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
, toyToyA toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s, furnitureFurnitureFurniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, cushionCushionA cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch...
s, mugs or posterPosterA poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
s. - producing embroidered banners, delftDelftDelft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
statueStatueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
ttes, or clothes and objects with liturgicLiturgyLiturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
Breton character, pour faire barrage à l’art sulpicien (to make a barricade against 'sulpician' art).
Members
- composers Paul LadmiraultPaul LadmiraultPaul Ladmirault was a French composer whose music expressed his devotion to Brittany.-Life:Ladmirault was born in Nantes. A child prodigy, he learned piano, organ and violin from an early age. At the age of 8, he composed a sonata for violin and piano. At the age of fifteen, when still a student...
, Jef Le PenvenJef Le PenvenJef Le Penven was a French composer, born in Pontivy, Morbihan, Brittany.Le Penven was the twelfth child of a family of cabinet makers. He was brought up in an atmosphere of traditional vernacular music, learning to play the bombard as a child...
and Paul Le FlemPaul Le FlemPaul Le Flem was a French composer and music critic. Born in Brittany and living most of his life in Lezardrieux, Le Flem studied at the Schola Cantorum under Vincent d'Indy and Albert Roussel, later teaching at the same establishment, where his pupils included Erik Satie and André Jolivet... - painter, engraver and novelist Xavier de LanglaisXavier de LanglaisXavier de Langlais was a Breton painter, printmaker and writer. He usually signed his work with the name Langleiz, a Breton language version of his surname.-Early career:...
- sculptors Jean FreourJean FreourJean Fréour was a prominent Breton sculptor.Fréour was born in Nantes. He studied at the Bordeaux School of the Fine arts and attended the classes of Louis-Henry Bouchard in the national School of the Fine arts in Paris. He is a member of the Breton artistic movement Seiz Breur.In the mid 1950s he...
, Yann GouletYann GouletYann Goulet was a sculptor, Breton nationalist and war-time collaborationist with Nazi Germany who headed the Breton Bagadou Stourm militia. He later took Irish citizenship and became professor of sculpture at the Royal Hibernian Academy.-Early career:Goulet was born in Saint-Nazaire...
, Francis RenaudFrancis Renaud (sculptor)Francis Renaud , was a French sculptor mainly noted for his monumental granite public memorials in Brittany.Born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes d'Armor, Brittany, Renaud was associated with the revival of Breton nationalist ideals in art in the early 20th century. His earlier works are in a style close to...
, Jules-Charles Le BozecJules-Charles Le BozecJules-Charles Le Bozec was a French sculptor, whose work reflects a commitment to the local design traditions of his native province of Brittany.-Biography:...
and Raffig Tullou - embroider Georges RobinGeorges RobinGeorges Robin , also known as Jorj Robin, was a sculptor and designer from Nantes.Robin was a member of the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur, working at the magazine Kornog, founded by the movement's leader René-Yves Creston...
- haute coutureHaute coutureHaute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
stylist Val Riou - illustrators Xavier HaasXavier HaasXavier Haas, was a French painter and engraver. Though born in Paris of Alsacian descent, he is most associated with Breton nationalist art and design.When he was a child Haas contracted polio in Alsace, which partly disabled him...
, Robert Micheau-Vernez and Pierre Péron - woodworker Joseph SavinaJoseph SavinaJoseph Savina, , was a Breton woodworker, cabinet maker and sculptor who was a member of the art movement Seiz Breur. He collaborated with Le Corbusier on several projects, and sought to revitalise Breton furniture design. He ran a workshop in Tréguier .-Early life:Savina was born in Douarnenez...
- architects James BouilléJames BouilléJames Bouillé was a French architect based in Brittany.-Biography:Bouillé was born in Guingamp He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, until he was mobilized after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914...
and Olier MordrelOlier MordrelOlier Mordrel is the Breton language version of Olivier Mordrelle, a Breton nationalist and wartime collaborator with the Third Reich who founded the separatist Breton National Party. Before the war he worked as an architect. His architectural work was influenced by Art Deco and the International... - writers Jeanne Coroller-DanioJeanne Coroller-DanioJeanne Coroller-Danio was a Breton nationalist and writer. She is also known as Jeanne Coroller and Jeanne Chassin du Guerny . Her best known pen-name was Danio, but she published her work under various pseudonyms: J.C...
, Gwilherm BerthouGwilherm BerthouGwilherm Berthou was a Breton nationalist terrorist and neo-Druidic bardic poet. He was a member of the Breton artistic movement Seiz Breur.-Terrorism:...
(aka "Kerverziou") - editors Herry Caouissin and Ronan Caouissin
- publicist and novelist Youenn DrezenYouenn DrezenYouenn Drezen is the Breton language name of Yves Le Drézen, a Breton nationalist writer and activist. He is also known as Corentin Cariou and Tin Gariou.-Youth:...
- professor of fine arts Morvan MarchalMorvan MarchalMorvan Marchal , is the Breton name of Maurice Marchal, an architect and a militant Breton nationalist. He is best known for having designed the national flag of Brittany.-Biography:...
, creator of the modern day Flag of BrittanyFlag of BrittanyThe flag of Brittany is called the Gwenn-ha-du, pronounced , which means white and black in Breton. It is also unofficially used in the département of Loire-Atlantique, although this now belongs to the Pays de la Loire and not to the région of Brittany, as the territory of Loire-Atlantique is...
(Gwenn ha Du) - string playerString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
Dorig Le Voyer - schoolmasters Yann Sohier, and Marc'harid Gourlaouen, promoters of the teaching of the Breton languageBreton languageBreton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
and
Georges Arnoux
Georges Arnoux
Georges Arnoux, was a composer.- Origins :He was the descendant of a family originally from Switzerland. He studied under Vincent d'Indy, at the Schola Cantorum de Paris.- Breton militancy :...
, Octave-Louis Aubert
Octave-Louis Aubert
Octave-Louis Aubert, was a French editor and writer associated with Breton nationalism.Born in Paris, Aubert came to Brittany in 1893 when he got a job as assistant editor of the journal Réveil Breton in Saint-Brieuc. He soon became devoted to Breton culture. He founded Le Démocrate in 1898, and...
, André Batillat, Yves Berthou, Yvette Brelet, Suzanne Creston, Herri Kaouissin, René Kaouissin, Reun Kreston, Edmond Derrouch, Fañch Elies (Abeozen
Abeozen
François Eliès, born Fañch Eliès and better known by the pseudonym Abeozen, was a Breton nationalist, novelist and dramatist who wrote in the Breton language. Abeozen was also a noted scholar of the Welsh language.Abeozen started contributing to the Breton literary journal Gwalarn in 1925...
), Jean Guinard, Marguerite Houel, Germaine Jouan, Roger Kervran, Marcel Le Louet, Christian Le Part, Régis de l'Estourbillon, Dorig Le Voyer, Madeleine Lizer, Édouard Mahé, Jean Mazuet, Robert Micheau-Vernez, Jacques Motheau, Michael O'Farrel, Francis Pellerin, Charles Penther, Pierre Péron, François Planeix, Yann Robert, Georges Rual, René Salaün, René Salmon de la Godelinais, Gaston Sébilleau.
Sources of inspiration
- Celtic mythologyCeltic mythologyCeltic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
, including WelshWelsh mythologyWelsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
and IrishIrish mythologyThe mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are... - druidism
- Breton legends, such as BrocéliandeBrocéliandeBrocéliande is the name of a legendary forest that first appears in literature in 1160, in the Roman de Rou, a verse chronicle written by Wace....
, the Matter of BritainMatter of BritainThe Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
(especially stories of King Arthur and Merlin), or popular themes such as AnkouAnkouAnkou is a personification of death in Breton mythology as well as in Cornish and Norman French folklore.Ankou is also known as "Aräwn".-Background:This character is reported by Anatole Le Braz, writer and legends collector of the 19th century... - Breton historyHistory of BrittanyThe history of Brittany may refer to the entire history of the Armorican peninsula or only to the creation and development of a specifically Brythonic culture and state in the Early Middle Ages and the subsequent history of that state....
- religionReligionReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
: PardonPardon (ceremony)A Pardon is a typically Breton form of pilgrimage and one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism in Brittany. Of very ancient origin, probably dating back to the conversion of the country by the Celtic monks, it is comparable to the parades associated with Saint Patrick's Day...
s (Breton religious festivals) or pilgrimagePilgrimageA pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s, saintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, and CeltCeltThe Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic heroes. - daily rural or maritime life
Chronology
The Seiz Breur made a name for themselves at ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian exhibitions in 1925 and 1937 and at Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
's pavilions.
- 1923 : Artistic collaboration started
- 1925 : Participation at the l’Exposition des Arts décoratifs in Paris
- 1926 : Death of Jeanne MalivelJeanne MalivelJeanne Malivel was a Breton designer and illustrator who inspired the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur.Originally from Loudéac, she revived the art of woodblock printing in her illustrations for the Breton nationalist book The History of our Brittany by Jeanne Coroller-Danio in 1922...
. - 1928 : Launch of the review KornogKornogKornog is a Breton folk music band formed in the 1980s. They are notable in that they have been perhaps the only Breton band to have had a serious touring presence in the United States, so for many in North America, Kornog defines Breton music. The word ‘kornog’ means “west” in the Breton language...
(Western) in which the Seiz Breur members write their theories. The group renames itself Unvaniez Seiz Breur (Union of Seven Brothers). - 1929 : Breton art exhibition in Douarnenez.
- 1931 : Keltia replaces KornogKornogKornog is a Breton folk music band formed in the 1980s. They are notable in that they have been perhaps the only Breton band to have had a serious touring presence in the United States, so for many in North America, Kornog defines Breton music. The word ‘kornog’ means “west” in the Breton language...
as the journal. - 1937 : Pavillon de la Bretagne, exposition in Paris.
- 1939 : WWII causes mobilisation of various members.
- 1940 : publication of Programme de Seiz Breur dans un manifeste en 13 points (Seiz Breur's manifesto in a 13 point programme).
- 1940-1944 : Exhibitions in RennesRennesRennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
or ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under the name Eost Breiziz (Breton harvest). - 1944 : Xavier de LanglaisXavier de LanglaisXavier de Langlais was a Breton painter, printmaker and writer. He usually signed his work with the name Langleiz, a Breton language version of his surname.-Early career:...
replaces René-Yves CrestonRené-Yves CrestonRené-Yves Creston , born René Pierre Joseph Creston, was a Breton artist, designer and ethnographer who founded the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur...
as president of the group - 1947-1948 : The end, with Raffig Tullou as the final secretary.
Collaborationism in World War II
One faction within the group, led by the architect Olier MordrelOlier Mordrel
Olier Mordrel is the Breton language version of Olivier Mordrelle, a Breton nationalist and wartime collaborator with the Third Reich who founded the separatist Breton National Party. Before the war he worked as an architect. His architectural work was influenced by Art Deco and the International...
and the sculptor Yann Goulet
Yann Goulet
Yann Goulet was a sculptor, Breton nationalist and war-time collaborationist with Nazi Germany who headed the Breton Bagadou Stourm militia. He later took Irish citizenship and became professor of sculpture at the Royal Hibernian Academy.-Early career:Goulet was born in Saint-Nazaire...
had moved from the politically neutral statement neither red nor white, just Breton to outright nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
, hoping that a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
victory would bring independence to Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. Both became members of the Breton National Party
Breton National Party
The Breton National Party was a nationalist party in Brittany that existed from 1931 to 1944. The party was disbanded after the liberation of France in World War II, because of ties to the Nazi party....
, which declared its support for Germany on the outbreak of war.
During the occupation of France, Mordrel and others were involved in setting up collaborationist ventures. 1942 saw the birth of the Institut celtique, absorbing members of Seiz Breur and a diverse range of Bretons. In the meantime, a manifesto signed by the Seiz Breur announcing the role of Brittany in post-war Europe appeared in La Bretagne, a newspaper edited by Yann Fouéré
Yann Fouéré
Yann Fouéré was a Breton nationalist and an European federalist. He was born as Jean-Adolphe Fouéré in Aignan, Gers....
. This text reminded readers of the lesson in "racial vitality" they gave at the International Exhibition in 1937. Political disputes involving the war and nationalist controversies led to the union's closure in 1944. Like much of the Breton movement
Breton nationalism
Breton nationalism is the nationalism of the traditional province of Brittany in France. Brittany is considered to be one of the six Celtic nations...
, at the end of the war the group collapsed amid accusations of collaboration.
Between 2000 and 2001 an exhibition dedicated to Seiz Breur was shown at the Musée de Bretagne in Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
and in then in other four galleries around Brittany. The exhibition documented the group's links to Breton nationalism and the extreme-right. However, only a handful of its members were linked to the latter.