Installation of the fountain *Spring* 1934 (≈ 1934)
First Art Deco work by Proszynski in Neuvic.
1937
Creation of the public garden and cariatides
Creation of the public garden and cariatides 1937 (≈ 1937)
Collaboration with architect Mellon for the preau.
avant 1949
Completion of high school cariatids
Completion of high school cariatids avant 1949 (≈ 1949)
Eight sculptures connected by a garland.
11 septembre 2013
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 11 septembre 2013 (≈ 2013)
Protection of the four sculptural ensembles.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Spring Fountain, also known as the Shepherd Fountain (not cadastral, public domain); the " Fountain of the Poule" (not cadastralized, public domain); the cariatides of the courtyard of the public garden (Box BD 25), as well as the public garden (Box BD 28); the entrance to the vocational school Marcel Barbanceys, located rue de l'Artisanat (cad. BD 79): registration by decree of 11 September 2013
Key figures
Henri Proszynski - Sculptor
Author of the four sets between 1934 and 1949.
Maurice Mellon - Architect
Designer of the public garden in 1937.
Origin and history
The sculptures of Henri Proszynski in Neuvic, created between 1934 and 1949, illustrate the stylistic evolution of the artist, moving from an Art Deco style to a marked geometrization. The first work, the Spring fountain (or fountain of the Shepherd), was installed in 1934. It embodies a typical 1930s plastic approach, mixing organic curves and decorative motifs.
In 1937, the artist collaborated with architect Maurice Mellon to decorate a newly designed public garden. Proszynski creates two cariatids to support the meadow, as well as a small concrete fountain decorated with mosaics, known as the Fountain of the Poule. These works mark a transition to more refined and geometric shapes, reflecting the modernist influences of the time.
The entrance to the Marcel-Barbanceys vocational school, located on Rue de l'Artisanat, is decorated with eight cariatides connected by a garland, completed before 1949. This set, with strict lines, ends Proszynski's creative period in Neuvic. The four sculptures (fontaines and cariatides) have been classified as Historic Monument since 2013, highlighting their stylistic consistency and their anchoring in the local heritage.
Proszynski's work in Neuvic is distinguished by its typological diversity, combining functionality (fontaines, architectural decorations) and aesthetic innovation. The public garden and the high school, places where sculptures are located, become spaces where art and daily life intersect, testifying to the cultural ambition of the commune in the 20th century.
