Xavier Sager

Untitled Nautical Scene

Nice, France Waterfront

Oil on Board 

image area approx 48" wide x 30" high


circa 1930

PRICE - $7500 USD

Active harbor scene with lovely detail of the features of the Nice waterfront. Four fishing boats moored in foreground close to a rocky shoreline.  The harbor spreads out in the distance, with the breakwater and ruined fort clearly visible in the mid-ground.

Very good condition. Needs cleaning, Minor warping to board. No crazing or cracking. One edge paint chip and one approx 1mm paint chip in sky.  Color is clean and bright. 

Not much information is available on the life of Xavier Sager, and it is actually unclear whether there was one artist or two. Works dated during the first 30 years of the 20th century consist mostly of post cards, illustrations, and a few sculpted figures, mostly produced in the USA between 1900 and 1930.  The oil paintings are largely European scenes dated after 1930.   The history of the artist to the best of our knowledge is as follows;

Xavier Sager   circa 1881-1969

Born in Austria?   Immigrated to the USA circa 1900.   Left the USA circa 1930?

Sager designed thousands of postcards and illustrations, many with erotic, irreverent, bawdy, or cheesecake themes.  Most were signed Xavier Sager, but he also signed some with pseudonyms.  Sager focused on the tawdry and banal aspects of human nature, but also on the costume, fashion, and hairstyles of women.  He is considered by some to be the creator of this type of caricature.  Many imitated his style in Paris ( Aris Mertzanoff, Charles Naillod, G. Mouton, Robé, Vindier, A. Molynk).

All pages on this web site are copyright 1998 to 2016 by Williams Gallery West