Signed U. Checa (XIX) - XL FORMAT - The Charge Through The Forest

KNIGHTLY SCENE IN THE FOREST, 1890

-Work of the Spanish School from the late 19th century

-Oil on canvas.

-Signed and dated U. Checa, 90 in the lower right corner.

-Dimensions of the work: 159 x 99 cm.

Dimensions with frame: 188 x 128 x 8 cm approx.

IMPORTANT TRANSPORT INFORMATION (Not Free)

Due to the large format of the work and the presence of a very large frame, transport must be handled in a special way.

The shipping costs indicated on the platform should be understood as a rough estimate.

The buyer may arrange direct collection or transport of the work if desired.

If the actual cost of packaging, handling, or specialized transport is higher than the initially indicated amount, any surplus cost must be borne by the buyer.

Alternatively, a personal collection or transport arranged by both parties can be coordinated.

The work will be prepared with the utmost care possible, but given its dimensions we recommend a professional or specialized transport service for artworks and large formats.

(we can provide several options always taking your preferences into account)

1. IDENTIFICATION

1.1. Work

Grand cavalry scene set in a wooded landscape.

The composition shows an episode of movement, smoke, horses and soldiers, with strong narrative tension.

The work appears signed and dated U. Checa, 90.

For lack of an authenticity certificate, it is prudently presented as only signed U. Checa.

1.2. Context of the artist to whom it approaches in theme and style

Ulpiano Checa was one of the Spanish painters most recognized for his historical, military, equestrian scenes with great dynamic composition.

His painting combines academism, late Romanticism, a theatrical sense of movement, and a free brushwork in certain areas of the composition.

2. ARTISTIC DESCRIPTION

The scene unfolds in an open forest, with tall trees, smoke from gunfire, and a composition marked by the advance of the horses.

The gaze moves between the foreground figures, the bridge, the moving soldiers, and the illuminated background of the path.

There is a clear sense of suspended action.

The moment seems captured in full tension,

not quite stopping,

as if the scene continued to occur beyond the frame.

The horses and riders are treated with a quick and expressive brushstroke.

Some areas appear more defined;

others remain more open, almost sketched.

This difference in finish is especially interesting.

It could indicate that this is a commissioned work or from a workshop, developed in its overall composition, but possibly not taken to the last degree of realistic definition by the artist.

3. ATTRIBUTION AND CURATORIAL READING

The signature U. Checa and the date 90 naturally orient the work toward Ulpiano Checa and Sanz.

The equestrian theme, the movement of the horses, the historical-military episode, and the monumental format are elements very close to his pictorial universe.

Even so, as a precaution, and in the absence of a certificate or additional documentation, the work should be cataloged as:

Signed U. Checa

One possible reading is that it is a composition commissioned or prepared for a project of greater ambition.

The work preserves strength, structure, and movement,

but some areas seem to be pending a final phase of outlining,

especially in faces, secondary details and certain passages of the background.

This condition allows for a very direct observation of the painting process.

The scene preserves an open energy,

between the initial idea,

the compositional construction,

and the final finish.

4. CONDITION

The work shows later restorations.

There are slight losses of paint and visible signs of the passage of time.

The surface shows craquelure, wear, interventions, and finish differences.

The frame also shows losses, scuffs, and signs of age.

Photographs are an essential part of the description.

They allow observing the signature, the painted surface, the frame, the reverse, the restorations, and the overall condition.

5. FRAME AND PRESENCE

The work is presented with a large frame of strong decorative presence.

The whole measures approximately 188 x 128 x 8 cm, making the piece a painting of substantial scale.

The frame shows losses and wear,
but it well accompanies the historical character of the scene.

Its presence reinforces the reading of the work as a painting of great apparatus,
intended to occupy a wide space.

6. CONTEMPLATION

This painting belongs to the world of movement.

Horses,
smoke,
bullets,
trees,
soldiers,
dust,
and a cold light that penetrates the forest.

It is not a quiet scene.
It is a painting in transit.
Part of its interest lies precisely in that open condition:
the work seems to be between the initial impulse and the final finish,
between the imagined battle and the finished painting.
A piece of great presence for anyone approaching it from history, equestrian painting, and the pictorial universe of Ulpiano Checa.