Louis Feron Fabulous Sixties Tourmaline and Pearl-Set Gold Ring

Louis Féron was a sculptor, chaser, gold- and silversmith. He was born in Rouen, Normandy, and apprenticed in Paris in the Volk Bronze Figure Workshop as a figure and ornament ciseleur. In 1933, he won the title of “Best Chaser, Gold- and Silversmith of France” for a goldsmith work called Head of Jean, now on permanent collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 

Féron was named Commande de l’Ordre du Travail by the French government and decorated in the Sorbonne. Féron immigrated to Costa Rica during the Great Depression, living and working there from 1934–45, where he ran his workshop. In 1935, he was appointed professor at the Public Works School in Costa Rica.

From 1939–40, Féron created the Salón Dorado (Golden Room) in what was then La Sabana International Airport Diplomat Lounge, now part of the Costa Rican Museum of Art. This is a stucco-and-bas-relief mural covering 150 square meters and representing major events and periods in Costa Rican history from pre-Columbian times up to 1940. 

In 1987, Féron received a commendation from the Costa Rican government for his “great contribution to the artistic and cultural heritage of the nation.” Féron left Costa Rica for New York City in 1945, and he became an American citizen in 1951. In the United States, he designed and created sacred vessels, jewelry and sculpture for private clients as well as for firms like Rubel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, Jean Schlumberger, Bronzini, Cartier, David Webb, Tiffany & Co. and Steuben Glass Works. 

Féron’s work has been accepted in the collections of Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia; and the Cathedral of Detroit, Michigan. Féron married the dancer Leslie Snow in 1962 and established a workshop in New Hampshire. In 1977, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane letter by Plymouth State University. In 1995, 35 of his pieces were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. 

Féron taught several prominent artists over the years, many of whom maintain their workshops and carry on his traditions, including Pierre Etienne Lahaussois and Carvin French.

(Biography provided by Ashville Fine Arts)