Once recalled the close ties Claude Vandeloise had with Corela, this introduction focuses on the unpublished work the author dedicated to the expression of proximity in French and in English. This work is put in relation with two other contributions, one on the genesis of spatial adpositions and the other one on the relations between control and localization in the semantics of basic prepositions in French and in English. These three papers, probably written between 2005 and 2007, build up an outstanding collection bringing to the fore the depth of Claude Vandeloise’s analysis. They also show how the theoretical framework he set up to account for the semantics of spatial markers is continuously questioned in the light of the facts provided by the diachronic, cross-linguistic or acquisitional studies. Once collected, these three papers represent Claude Vandeloise’s scientific testament and the completion of his work.