Vida del artista de origen mindoniense José Losada (1817-1887), platero oficial de la catedral de Santiago de Compostela

Abstract

Jose Losada was the most important silversmith from Compostela in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, being the official artist of the cathedral of Santiago and author of his two most emblematic works of silversmithing: the botafumeiro, and the urn that guards the bones of the Apostle. From the Archive of the Diocese of Mondoñedo-Ferrol- since he was born in the parish of Santiago de Mondoñedo- to the University Historical Archive of Santiago or the Archive of the Cathedral of the same city, we have compiled and ordered a series of unpublished documentation. Thanks to this, we have carried out the reconstruction of the biography of the artist and his professional career regarding the Cathedral, where he worked for more than thirty years. In addition, a first approach to his catalog of work, scattered throughout the parishes of the archdiocese, has allowed us to reach conclusions regarding its stylistic particularities, for the benefit of the recognition of future pieces that are still to be identified. Together, this unpublished material allows us to know a particularly relevant figure of nineteenth-century art from Compostela, to recognize potential pieces in future studies, and especially, to determine aspects related to learning, work and characteristics of the silversmith trade in Compostela at the time, until now very little studied.