Louis Feron
Louis Féron (1901 – 28 March 1998) was a French-born sculptor, chaser, gold- and silversmith.
Biography[edit]
He was born in Rouen, Normandy, and apprenticed in Paris in the Volk Bronze Figure Workshop as a figure and ornament ciseleur.
Artistic work[edit]
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.[1] He was named Commande de l’Ordre du Travail by the French government and decorated in the Sorbonne. He immigrated to Costa Rica during the Great Depression, living and working there from 1934 – 1945, where he ran his own workshop. In 1935 he was appointed professor at the Public Works School in Costa Rica. From 1939 – 1940, he 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 he received a commendation from the Costa Rican government for his "great contribution to the artistic and cultural heritage of the nation."
Feron 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 the firms Rubel, Van Cleef and Arpels, Verdura, Schlumberger, Bronzini, Cartier, David Web, Tiffany & Company[2] and Steuben Glass Works. His work has been accepted in the collections of Musee d’Art Moderne, Paris, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH; the Virginia Museum, Richmond, VA; and the Cathedral of Detroit, MI.[1]
Feron created the likeness of 1989 Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi that was affixed to the Borg-Warner Trophy.[3]
Feron 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 College. In 1995, thirty-five of his pieces formed an exhibit at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Feron taught a number of prominent artists over the years, many of whom maintain their own workshops and carry on his traditions, including Pierre Etienne Lahaussois[4] and Carvin French.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "A Voyage Remembered, by Leslie Snow, with the memoirs of Louis Feron". Archived from the original on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2014-01-27.
- ^ Bejewelled by Tiffany, by Clare Phillips, 1837-1987. Includes Louis Feron art. Yale University Press.
- ^ Mannweiler, David (November 28, 1989). "Emmo's slice is best". The Indianapolis News. p. 2. Retrieved June 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pierre Etienne Lahaussois, website
- ^ Carvin French, Antique Jewelry University
External links[edit]
- "The Art of Chasing"[permanent dead link] by Louis Feron. Sculpture Review, Spring 1963 Vol XII, No. 1 A Publication of the National Sculpture Society.
- Louis Feron, goldsmith, jeweler, sculptor by Louis Feron, 1977.
- Louis Feron Master Jeweler 1901-1998: Paris, Costa Rica, New York by Emily Banis Stoehrer and Frederic A. Sharf, 2012.
- A Voyage Remembered by Leslie Snow, with the memoirs of Louis Feron, Peter E. Randall Publisher, 2014.
- Salon Dorado, pictures of the Salon Dorado (Gold Room) designed by Louis Feron in the Museo de Arte Constarricense (Spanish language website).
- Fodor's Costa Rica 2013, contains information on visiting Salon Dorado, designed by Louis Feron and housed in the Costa Rican Museum of Art.
- New York Times obituary
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