Joaquín Matajudíos

JOAQUÍN MATAJUDÍOS (1775 - 1855).
Ice bucket
Colombian silver.
Presents punches of artificer.
Measurements: 26 x 42 cm.
Weight: 3253 g.
This goldsmith from Novogranada, active between the late eighteenth century and the first decades of the nineteenth century, was trained in the trade within a craft environment linked to silverware, developing an outstanding career in both the civil and religious spheres. From 1792, he established his own workshop, from where he not only consolidated his artistic production, but also played an important role as a trainer of new artisans, among whom we should mention Manuel Serrano, Antonio Rico, Cruz Ortega and Juan Nepomuceno Meléndez, the latter later active in the city of Mompóx.
During the turbulent years of the independence process, his work was not interrupted, remaining a constant supplier of pieces for both viceregal authorities and figures of the independence movement. His production included commissions for figures such as Viceroy Juan Sámano (1816), for whom he made personal utensils and ornamental objects, and for General Pablo Morillo (1818), for whom he produced silver tableware.
His relationship with patriot leaders was equally significant. In 1819 he made weapons and furnishings for Republican officers, including a sword for José María Olano and a set of silverware and decorative objects for the Liberator Simón Bolívar. In later years he continued to receive high-ranking commissions, as in 1824 for General Francisco de Paula Santander and in 1826 for Manuela Sáenz, to whom he provided personal accessories in precious metals.
His prolific production of liturgical gold and silver work also stands out, destined for various churches in the Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada. Among the most relevant works is a large monstrance (870 ounces of silver, inlaid with gold and emeralds) made for the church of Mariquita. Liturgical pieces are also documented for the churches of Tena, Tenza, Santa Inés de Bogotá and others located in towns such as Bosa, Cota, Garagoa, La Mesa, Choachí, Fontibón, San Diego and San Francisco in Bogotá.
His work is distinguished by the refined use of silver, occasionally combined with gold and precious stones, and by a technical mastery that allowed him to respond to commissions of various kinds, from utilitarian to ceremonial, making him a figure of relevance within the panorama of the sumptuary arts in the New Granada.