The Louis Nucéra Library of the City of Nice invites you to discover, from March 15 to June 17, 2012, the exhibition of engravings by Annie Proszynska.
The opening of the exhibition will take place on Thursday, March 15, 2012, at 5 p.m.
This exhibition follows the recent donation to the City of Nice of 121 engravings by Annie Proszynska, gifted by her husband, Doctor Jacques Hurel. This collection enriches the prestigious collection of the Municipal Library with a Regional Vocation of Nice and joins donations from Michel Butor, Arman, Guiramand, James Coignard, Avati, Marcel Alocco, Michel Bohbot, Julius Baltazar, Jacques Villeglé, André Brasilier, Emile Marzé, Philippe Césaretti, Nivèse, Raphaël Monticelli, Max Charvolen…
This ensemble is valuable in several respects. It is the work of the first female engraver among the long list of donors. It also represents a collection that, due to its vast number, allows for a thorough appreciation of a powerfully original and lesser-known oeuvre.
In 1964, accompanied by her husband, the young Annie Proszynska settled in Nice. She led a passionate life there, entirely devoted to work, and left us in 2008, leaving behind a masterful artistic oeuvre, better known among experts than the general public. Trained as an architect, she devoted herself to painting early on. She abandoned it in the 1970s in favor of engraving, a passion that stayed with her. She found in this rigorous art, which she learned notably from Jacques Hallez in Lumigny, the perfect fulfillment of her exceptional talent. A great lover of books, she published precious limited-edition bibliophilic works, including two at the Matarasso Gallery. While fully participating in the artistic effervescence in Nice in the 1960s, she managed to create, outside any artistic circle, a particularly original oeuvre traversed by themes dear to her, such as Classical Antiquity, the Mediterranean, bullfighting, or yoga. The female figure reigns as the absolute mistress in this vibrant and colorful work.
The exhibition of works from the donation is a rare opportunity to discover the abundant and fascinating universe of a singular and demanding artist.
