Dr. Mercedes Galego Esperanza has devoted his life to studying very interesting aspects of Ourense’s artistic heritage. As a teacher and researcher, she has published books and articles with a special focus on contemporary art for more than two years. During her presidency of the Francisco de Morey Group, she was noted for her wise initiatives in favor of understanding and disseminating the rich heritage of the province, and during her tenure as a senator she proposed the defense of Galicia’s two Effective measures for monuments.
– The representative office of the Province of Ourense has recently published a new book devoted to an unpublished subject, albeit smaller in appearance, but of objective artistic and social interest, “Os Rodríguez. Unha saga na ebanistería ourensá”, You are invited to ask the author for details of its content and elaboration, and how the idea for this publication was born.
– It is time that he wanted to ask about the topic of cabinetmaking in Orenza in the first half of the 20th century, since it is unknown at the research level, however, the complaints and artistic views that art craftsmen may have on the history of Orenza above all The social point of view is worth keeping in mind. It is this last challenge to society that arouses more curiosity, and dare I say more interest in this case. Furthermore, although the book focuses on these two aspects, it has been enriched by the collaboration of Dr. Ana Malingre and Arturo Rodrígue-Vispo. Ana Mullinger is a scholar who studies the evolution of two sectors of the Ourense industry during this period. He is a descendant of this legendary joiner and is therefore known for his biography.
– Os Rodriguez. Give us a record of who you are, your family relationships, some information from your biography, a chronology of your life.
As Arturo Rodríguez-Vispo details in their collaboration, the Rodríguez saga began in 1860, when Antonio Rodríguez-Vispo Antonio Rodríguez Valente established a carpentry workshop in San Miguel de Meillas. Or he has received an important cabinet making order, or he wants to build his own city. The second generation two years later, corresponding to the expansion and assistance of the business, becomes a reference company only in Ourense. 10 years later, it will be the third generation, which amounts to dealing with the final loss of the company, or rather, the references of the Rodriguez brothers in Ourense in the first half of the 20th century do not pose an obstacle.
– How would you define your profession: joiner, sculptor, engraver?
There is no doubt that the Rodriguez family was a family of cabinetmakers who were constantly improving and forming because they were able to cater to the tastes of the bourgeoisie who were about to determine the city and chose not to adopt Spanish style furniture.
-Os seus cell phones are notorious, do you think they have become something that defines social status in society? Some kind of quality-of-life marker?
– Bourgeois Orenza is deeply rooted in two elements that complement each other in the interior: Spanish style and Rodriguez furniture. Both serve as symbols of cousas. Every proud family has a “dos Rodríguez” restaurant in the noble part of the house. The same thing happens in professional offices, especially doctors and lawyers. Agencies, including provincial representatives or city councils, have also signed up for the fashion event as the facility is being refurbished.
– I guess his work is related to attending various seminars of similar orders. Are there known relationships with other places?
Although this section deals with cabinetmaking, as they say at the beginning, I do not know if there are news and references in the publication that tell us that two cabinetmaking workshops in Ourense were engaged in the same type of commissions, namely the late Herdeiros dos Rodríguez trains and works for its founder, San Miguel de Melias. The example given by Ching is that the way dun and others work is confusing and using the same model. Besides their professional relationship, Galicia also had close ties with Catalonia, but more of a commercial nuance, and maybe Valencia, which at the time was a center of large industrial activity and importers of technology and fashion. There are also certain links with the western region of Asturias, especially in terms of technique and subject matter. In all objectives, we must remember that the fashion for Spanish style furniture was widespread in the eclectic environment of the late 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, and in the case of Ourense, the popularity of Spanish style furniture was high. end of the century. As far as the techniques employed are concerned, the situation is generally the same in all workshops of this type, which have combined the use of machine tools with manual work since the end of the nineteenth century. These machines allow for greater precision and mass production, which is easier to achieve from an economic point of view. However, workshops tend to keep the more expensive handmade furniture and only make it to order.
“They use traditional Madeira wines such as ocastiñeiro ea nogueira”
– What theme tracks did nos seus mobiles use? Set an example for those of us who are inspired. Is it just decoration or is there some kind of lesson as well?
– First, that in many cases the furniture maker is probably more of a craftsman than an artist, who is limited to copying subjects from engravings and then from books and professional magazines of the same man, ignoring his possible Meaning has origin. This ignorance often extends to customers who are simply following trends.
– This piece of handmade historicist furniture by Rodríguez is not focused on books, it is part of his studio work, although more expensive and only made to order, they have another part of more affordable market furniture.
– There are two sections that will interest you the most regarding the themes and models used for this type of furniture. To this we can say that the grotesque was more popular and, according to its subsequent use, originated in classical antiquity, as a sign with an excellent non-plate appearance, which is essentially in architecture and decoration decorative features. When it goes back to that period, we care about faino xa, which has no non-sexual or merely decorative meaning. Paralleling this eerie taste of utility poles is an indigenous theme of rural nature. Alternate second or destination can be moved.
– Is there a certain type of wood you prefer to use? In terms of technology, can you point out which one is special?
– The woods used by Rodriguez are generally traditional Galician woods, or Castinero and Nogueira, which does not mean that they use exotic woods such as mahogany in a particular order.