José Dolores López

José Dolores López was a skilled carpenter and furniture maker. Initially, he created painted domestic furnishings based on popular and imported Mexican furniture styles for his neighbors and friends. He was also skilled at creating delicate filigree silver jewelry common at the end of the nineteenth century.

Encouraged by Anglo (a term used in the region to denote all persons of non-Hispanic, non-Indian heritage) settlers and visitors to New Mexico, López left his work unpainted and began to construct objects more in keeping with the Anglo way of life.