After the opera

Ulpiano Checa y Sanz studied in Madrid under Manuel Dominguez and Federico de Madrazo but it was when he went to Paris that we see his work developing and his mature style becomes apparent. He was facinated and inspired by the lifestyles of the wealthy Parisians, who provided him with an endless range of subjects.

The present work is a celebration of Parisian life, here Checa excels in showing us the movement within the scene, the flow and swish of the dresses as the crowd dash from the Opera trying to avoid the rain. The elegance of the evening is not spoilt by the rain as the streetlights and lit coaches illuminate the road showing us flashes of the coloured silk dresses of these modern Parisians.