La torre sur de la catedral de León: del maestro Jusquín a Hans de Colonia

Abstract

Upon 1999 restoration of the Southern tower of the cathedral of Leon, there has once more arisen the question of who the author of this work is. Once Alfonso Ramos' authorship has been discarded, studies are being focused in the artistic profile of Jusquín, master builder of the cathedral of Leon from approximately 1445 to 1481. Jusquín sculptural catalogue has been widened as more masterpieces have been attributed to him. These new attributions have clearly placed him within formal Flemish style context. Structural analysis of the upper elements of the tower, which were erected between 1458 and the late 1470s, has led to the conclusion that these elements have a marked German style which is difficult to find in master builder Jusquín. With the only purpose to clarify such apparent paradox and without denying Jusquín's responsibility as master builder of the tower; the hypothesis arises that the design of the higher levels of the tower (middle and upper elements and spire) might belong to the Colonia’s and, particularly to the skilled hands of Hans of Colonia, in the same way he has been given the authorship of the ground plant of the gothic cathedral of Astorga.