Ulpiano Checa y Sanz (1860-1916) was a talented Spanish artist known for his work as a painter, sculptor, and illustrator. His full name was Ulpiano Fernández-Checa y Saiz, and he gained fame for using both impressionist and traditional techniques to create stunning historical paintings.
Checa’s career took off after he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, where he learned from well-known artists like Federico de Madrazo and Alejandro Ferrant. In 1873, he continued his education at the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Madrid and later at the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. One of his most famous works, “Invasion of the Barbarians,” was created during this time and earned him a gold medal at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1887. Sadly, the painting was destroyed in a fire, but sketches and photos of it remain.
In 1884, Checa received a scholarship to travel to Rome, where he spent several years before moving to Paris in 1890. Although he was widely recognized in France, his work was less known in Spain, except for his “Invasion of the Barbarians,” which won another award at the Vienna Exhibition in 1888. The painting portrayed a group of riders charging past a Roman temple under a stormy sky, capturing the intensity and violence of the moment.
Horses often played a key role in Checa’s large paintings. Some of his most famous works featuring horses include “Roman Chariot Race” (1890), “Attila and the Huns” (1891), “The Redskins” (1893), and “The Ravine of Waterloo” (1895). He also painted classical scenes like “Saturnalia” and “The Amazons.”
Checa exhibited many of his works in France, where he received a third-class medal at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition and was honored with the Legion of Honor in 1894. He also illustrated books and magazines, including a book on Napoleon’s life, and wrote a treatise on perspective in French. On top of that, he created sculptures of characters from his famous paintings, further showcasing his artistic versatility.
