Basil Blackshaw Sold at Auction Prices

Painter, b. 1932 - d. 2016

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            • Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Untitled Oil on paper, 22 x 20cm (7¾ x 8½'') Signed Provenance: The Artist's Estate
              May. 29, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Untitled Oil on paper, 22 x 20cm (7¾ x 8½'') Signed Provenance: The Artist's Estate

              Est: €500 - €800

              Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Untitled Oil on paper, 22 x 20cm (7¾ x 8½'') Signed Provenance: The Artist's Estate

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Dog Oil on board, 34 x 43cm (13¼ x 17'') Signed
              May. 29, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Dog Oil on board, 34 x 43cm (13¼ x 17'') Signed

              Est: €5,000 - €8,000

              Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Dog Oil on board, 34 x 43cm (13¼ x 17'') Signed

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Seated Nude Oil on paper, 57 x 40.5cm (19½ x 16'') Provenance: From The Artist's Estate
              May. 29, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Seated Nude Oil on paper, 57 x 40.5cm (19½ x 16'') Provenance: From The Artist's Estate

              Est: €2,000 - €3,000

              Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016) Seated Nude Oil on paper, 57 x 40.5cm (19½ x 16'') Provenance: From The Artist's Estate

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BROWN DOG
              May. 27, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BROWN DOG

              Est: €4,000 - €6,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BROWN DOG oil on paper signed upper left h:8  w:9.50 in. Provenance: Taylor Gallery, Belfast; Private collection Literature: Mike Catto, Basil Blackshaw, Art and the Man, Cara, In Flight Magazine of Aer Lingus, Volume 18, no. 5, September/October 1985, p. 33 (illustrated) A copy of the magazine is included with this lot.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) SEATED NUDE
              May. 27, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) SEATED NUDE

              Est: €2,000 - €3,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) SEATED NUDE oil on paper signed lower left h:8.75  w:6.50 in. Provenance: Stables Gallery, Portstewart; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Bicycle
              May. 02, 2024

              Bicycle

              Est: €10,000 - €15,000

              Basil Blackshaw, H.R.H.A. 1932 - 2016 Bicycle oil on canvas (2) unframed: (each) 107 by 91.5 cm.; 42 by 36 in. ----------------------------------------------- Basil Blackshaw, H.R.H.A. 1932 - 2016 Bicycle huile sur toile (2) sans cadre: (chacune) 107 by 91.5 cm.; 42 by 36 in.

              Sotheby's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) Looking West (1986) Mixed media on paper, 101 x 68cm (39¾ x 26¾'') Signed and dated (19)'86 Provenance: With Nicholas Gallery, Belfast
              Mar. 27, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) Looking West (1986) Mixed media on paper, 101 x 68cm (39¾ x 26¾'') Signed and dated (19)'86 Provenance: With Nicholas Gallery, Belfast

              Est: €5,000 - €8,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) Looking West (1986) Mixed media on paper, 101 x 68cm (39¾ x 26¾'') Signed and dated (19)'86 Provenance: With Nicholas Gallery, Belfast

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) GIRL ON HORSEBACK
              Mar. 11, 2024

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) GIRL ON HORSEBACK

              Est: €8,000 - €12,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) GIRL ON HORSEBACK oil on canvas signed lower right h:49.25  w:43.25 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist; Gormley's, Belfast, 3 August 2021, lot 13; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA White Bits with a Fall Mixed media on paper, 21 x 18.5cm (8¼ x 7¼'') Blackshaw studio label signed by the artist's daughter verso Provenance: The artist's studio and thence by descent
              Dec. 06, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA White Bits with a Fall Mixed media on paper, 21 x 18.5cm (8¼ x 7¼'') Blackshaw studio label signed by the artist's daughter verso Provenance: The artist's studio and thence by descent

              Est: €500 - €700

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA White Bits with a Fall Mixed media on paper, 21 x 18.5cm (8¼ x 7¼'') Blackshaw studio label signed by the artist's daughter verso Provenance: The artist's studio and thence by descent

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Landscape (2), c.1966 Oil on canvas, 100 x 130cm (39¼ x 51) Exhibited: Irish Exhibition of Living Art, 1966, Cat. No. 23; Ulster's Painters, Arts Council of Northern Ireland Touring Exhibition, October 1967
              Dec. 06, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Landscape (2), c.1966 Oil on canvas, 100 x 130cm (39¼ x 51) Exhibited: Irish Exhibition of Living Art, 1966, Cat. No. 23; Ulster's Painters, Arts Council of Northern Ireland Touring Exhibition, October 1967

              Est: €15,000 - €25,000

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Landscape (2), c.1966 Oil on canvas, 100 x 130cm (39¼ x 51) Exhibited: Irish Exhibition of Living Art, 1966, Cat. No. 23; Ulster's Painters, Arts Council of Northern Ireland Touring Exhibition, October 1967 - July 1968. Writing about the young Basil Blackshaw in 1957, John Hewitt observed: “Cézanne in the last year or so has been his universal measuring rod. Even his definition of Expressionism he broadens to include that master.” Blackshaw didn’t mean that Cézanne was an Expressionist in the sense of, say, German Expressionism. Looking at his own work what comes across strongly is that he not so much admired but was electrified by Cézanne’s hard-won capacity to combine the most fleeting and abstract of gestures with an absolutely solid compositional scheme, architectural in its certainty. This applies particularly to his landscapes, one of the main strands of Blackshaw’s art, and one that underlies the others: essentially animal and human figures. Cézanne was a liberating influence, even as his work resembled Cézanne’s less and less. Initially, in his use of impasto and blocks of colour there is an echo of Cézanne’s visualisation of nature as arrangements of spheres, cylinders and squares. But gradually, over time, he absorbed the lessons of Cézanne and made them completely his own, as in the case of this fine, expansive landscape. The location is not specified, but the curved ridge of the highland on the right relates the painting closely to studies of Divis Mountain, a source of inspiration and fascination for the artist at the time. (It’s cleverly echoed in the curve and angle of the barn more or less in the centre of the composition). And the palette of blues and ochres is distinctly Cézannesque. The son of a horse trainer, Blackshaw was born into a rural community south of Belfast, in many ways a remote world of “small farms and high hedgerows.” Involvement with animals - horses, terriers, lurchers, cockerels and more - was a way of life. Talking to Mike Catto in 1985, the artist dismissed any notion of rural gentility about his background: “Living in the country was bloody hard work.” He grew up in the midst of the busy farmyard bustle and later built his life around exactly that environment. His immersion in the countryside is complete and always shaped his vision of landscape. An early-blooming talent, he remains exceptional in having won the admiration of his artistic peers and a wide audience. Aidan Dunne, November 2023

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) FIGURES AND GOATS ON A COUNTRY ROAD, c.1950s
              Oct. 02, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) FIGURES AND GOATS ON A COUNTRY ROAD, c.1950s

              Est: €4,000 - €6,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) FIGURES AND GOATS ON A COUNTRY ROAD, c.1950s oil on board initialled and dated by the previous owner lower right h:18  w:20 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist, circa 1956; Collection of Ronald Cooper, Auckland, New Zealand; Thence by descent Ronald Cooper was married to Jospehine Cooper (neé Blackshaw), the artist's first cousin. Cooper writes in his autobiography: "There were two paintings that I particularly liked. Both were executed in various tones of brown and ochre colours with lighter highlights. One was of an old, bent over man walking along a long country road with a tethered goat trailing behind him. They were walking to the light and but for a light horizon, the rest of the sky was heavy and stormy. The other was of a large freshly ploughed potato field, a 'pratie field' as the locals described them, moving out towards a small hillock with two groups of windswept trees on it. There was a crack of light on the horizon but the rest of the sky was like in the other painting, heavy and stormy. Basil described them both as powerful paintings, in fact, that was a favourite expression of his and I wholly agreed with him......…[he] offered me four small paintings and one large oil painting and asked if I would like to take them back with me. Wow! Would I ever! I almost got on to my knees to thank him, for the large painting was actually the one of the ploughed potato field (a pratie field) that I had really liked when he showed it to me earlier on in the week […] The fourth picture was an oil painting of a horse inside an old stable".

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Seated Figure Oil on canvas, 183 x 122cm (72 x 48) Signed and inscribed verso Provenance: From the Artist's Estate To some extent it’s true to say that, periodically throughout his life, Basil Bla
              Sep. 27, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Seated Figure Oil on canvas, 183 x 122cm (72 x 48) Signed and inscribed verso Provenance: From the Artist's Estate To some extent it’s true to say that, periodically throughout his life, Basil Bla

              Est: €10,000 - €15,000

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Seated Figure Oil on canvas, 183 x 122cm (72 x 48) Signed and inscribed verso Provenance: From the Artist's Estate To some extent it’s true to say that, periodically throughout his life, Basil Blackshaw tended towards dramatically spare simplicity and understatement in his work. But then, first glances can be deceptive, and apparent understatement in his case was in fact a sure sense of not over-elaborating. Like Velasquez, he never used one brush-stroke too many. Once the picture was there, he stopped, something that takes great discipline when the temptation might be to show off in a more obvious way. His habitual model was Jude Stephens, and this elegant painting is in keeping with his later, radiantly lit compositions, often focused on windows or walls and nothing else, sometimes with words, or the evidence of words, inscribed on the surface. Here, the biscuity flesh tones float against an amorphous, cloudy space and it is as if the warmth of the figure radiates into that space. Born in Co Antrim, the son of a horse trainer, Blackshaw was thoroughly at home in a rural world of horses, dogs and farmyards. Feted as a young prodigy, he backed away from a conventional trajectory in his artistic career, quietly quitting a teaching job for example (he never returned after a cold snap temporarily closed the school) and moving from the city back to the country. His core subject matter included animals, the human figure, landscape and portrait subjects. He excelled in all these areas and built a wide, faithful following, as well as being greatly esteemed by his peers. Aidan Dunne, 2023

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Untitled Oil on paper, 37 x 31cm (14½ x 12¼) Provenance: From the Artist's Estate
              May. 31, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Untitled Oil on paper, 37 x 31cm (14½ x 12¼) Provenance: From the Artist's Estate

              Est: €800 - €1,200

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Untitled Oil on paper, 37 x 31cm (14½ x 12¼) Provenance: From the Artist's Estate

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Running Man Oil on canvas, 152 x 122cm (59¾ x 48) Provenance: From the artist's estate Universally admired despite what some might regard as the challenging nature of a great deal of his work, Basil
              May. 31, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Running Man Oil on canvas, 152 x 122cm (59¾ x 48) Provenance: From the artist's estate Universally admired despite what some might regard as the challenging nature of a great deal of his work, Basil

              Est: €12,000 - €16,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Running Man Oil on canvas, 152 x 122cm (59¾ x 48) Provenance: From the artist's estate Universally admired despite what some might regard as the challenging nature of a great deal of his work, Basil Blackshaw often seemed to nurture either one of two strong inclinations: one was to achieve the guileless honesty of a child in how he drew and painted, avoiding all the signs of adult visual sophistication. The other, not too dissimilar, was to make a satisfying painting while at the same time entirely nullifying the conventional trappings of an image. As it happens, both tendencies depended on his exceptional conventional abilities, pressed into service to bypass and transcend those same abilities. And both could involve writing across the composition, like an actor breaking the fourth wall. No matter what he was doing, he never shed the canny instincts of a gifted picture-maker. His running figure is a fine compendium of these various characteristics. The figure is both simple, scant on detail and painted in an unmodelled red ochre. But it’s also subtle, rendered in a manner that distinctly recalls classical Greek art (though wearing contemporary white running shoes, presumably Nike) and sensitively observed so that the attitude, the movement, feel exactly right. The background, displaying Blackshaw’s mastery with shades of grey and his sheer love of paint, could be a cast concrete wall, and the unruly text an ambiguous mix of applied and graffitied lettering. The son of a horse trainer, and thoroughly at home in a rural world of horses, dogs and farmyards, Blackshaw was feted as a prodigy but backed away from a conventional artistic career trajectory, quietly quitting a teaching job (he never returned after a cold snap temporarily closed the school) and moving from the city back to the country. His core subject matter included animals, the human figure (Jude Stephens was his long-term model), landscape and portrait subjects. He excelled in all areas and built a wide, faithful following, as well as being greatly esteemed by his peers. Aiden Dunne, April 2023

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Mowing Hay, c.1952 Oil on canvas, 25 x 36cm (9¾ x 14¼) Signed in pencil, lower right
              May. 31, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Mowing Hay, c.1952 Oil on canvas, 25 x 36cm (9¾ x 14¼) Signed in pencil, lower right

              Est: €3,000 - €5,000

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) Mowing Hay, c.1952 Oil on canvas, 25 x 36cm (9¾ x 14¼) Signed in pencil, lower right

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) A Streetscape; View of the Cave Hill; Train, c.1947-1953 A collection of three drawings in ink on paper, 14 x 21cm (5½ x 8¼); 19.5 x 25cm (7¾ x 9¾); 31 x 38cm (12¼ x 15) respectively One signed lower right (
              May. 31, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) A Streetscape; View of the Cave Hill; Train, c.1947-1953 A collection of three drawings in ink on paper, 14 x 21cm (5½ x 8¼); 19.5 x 25cm (7¾ x 9¾); 31 x 38cm (12¼ x 15) respectively One signed lower right (

              Est: €1,500 - €2,000

              Basil Blackshaw RUA HRHA (1932-2016) A Streetscape; View of the Cave Hill; Train, c.1947-1953 A collection of three drawings in ink on paper, 14 x 21cm (5½ x 8¼); 19.5 x 25cm (7¾ x 9¾); 31 x 38cm (12¼ x 15) respectively One signed lower right (A Streetscape) (3)

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Seated Nude Oil and collage on board, 31 x 26cm (12¼ x 10¼) Signed Provenance: From the Artist's Estate
              May. 31, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Seated Nude Oil and collage on board, 31 x 26cm (12¼ x 10¼) Signed Provenance: From the Artist's Estate

              Est: €1,500 - €2,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Seated Nude Oil and collage on board, 31 x 26cm (12¼ x 10¼) Signed Provenance: From the Artist's Estate

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) CLARE 2
              May. 29, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) CLARE 2

              Est: €1,500 - €2,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) CLARE 2 watercolour and chalks signed lower right; with Hendriks Gallery label on reverse h:23  w:16.25 in. Provenance: Hendriks Gallery, Dublin; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) HORSE IN A STABLE, 1956
              May. 29, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) HORSE IN A STABLE, 1956

              Est: €5,000 - €7,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) HORSE IN A STABLE, 1956 oil on canvas laid on panel signed and dated on reverse h:10  w:12 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist, circa 1956; Collection of Ronald Cooper, Auckland, New Zealand; Thence by descent Ronald Cooper was married to Jospehine Cooper (neé Blackshaw), the artist's first cousin. Cooper writes in his autobiography: "There were two paintings that I particularly liked. Both were executed in various tones of brown and ochre colours with lighter highlights. One was of an old, bent over man walking along a long country road with a tethered goat trailing behind him. They were walking to the light and but for a light horizon, the rest of the sky was heavy and stormy. The other was of a large freshly ploughed potato field, a 'pratie field' as the locals described them, moving out towards a small hillock with two groups of windswept trees on it. There was a crack of light on the horizon but the rest of the sky was like in the other painting, heavy and stormy. Basil described them both as powerful paintings, in fact, that was a favourite expression of his and I wholly agreed with him......…[he] offered me four small paintings and one large oil painting and asked if I would like to take them back with me. Wow! Would I ever! I almost got on to my knees to thank him, for the large painting was actually the one of the ploughed potato field (a pratie field) that I had really liked when he showed it to me earlier on in the week […] The fourth picture was an oil painting of a horse inside an old stable"

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) FIGURES AND GOATS ON A COUNTRY ROAD, c.1950s
              May. 29, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) FIGURES AND GOATS ON A COUNTRY ROAD, c.1950s

              Est: €6,000 - €8,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) FIGURES AND GOATS ON A COUNTRY ROAD, c.1950s oil on board initialed and dated by the previous owner lower right h:18  w:20 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist, circa 1956; Collection of Ronald Cooper, Auckland, New Zealand; Thence by descent Ronald Cooper was married to Jospehine Cooper (neé Blackshaw), the artist's first cousin. Cooper writes in his autobiography: "There were two paintings that I particularly liked. Both were executed in various tones of brown and ochre colours with lighter highlights. One was of an old, bent over man walking along a long country road with a tethered goat trailing behind him. They were walking to the light and but for a light horizon, the rest of the sky was heavy and stormy. The other was of a large freshly ploughed potato field, a 'pratie field' as the locals described them, moving out towards a small hillock with two groups of windswept trees on it. There was a crack of light on the horizon but the rest of the sky was like in the other painting, heavy and stormy. Basil described them both as powerful paintings, in fact, that was a favourite expression of his and I wholly agreed with him......…[he] offered me four small paintings and one large oil painting and asked if I would like to take them back with me. Wow! Would I ever! I almost got on to my knees to thank him, for the large painting was actually the one of the ploughed potato field (a pratie field) that I had really liked when he showed it to me earlier on in the week […] The fourth picture was an oil painting of a horse inside an old stable"

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) PRATIE FIELD, NEAR MAGHERAFELT, COUNTY DERRY, 1953
              May. 29, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) PRATIE FIELD, NEAR MAGHERAFELT, COUNTY DERRY, 1953

              Est: €10,000 - €15,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) PRATIE FIELD, NEAR MAGHERAFELT, COUNTY DERRY, 1953 oil on board signed and dated upper left h:22.75  w:29 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist, circa 1956; Collection of Ronald Cooper, Auckland, New Zealand; Thence by descent Ronald Cooper was married to Jospehine Cooper (neé Blackshaw), the artist's first cousin. Cooper writes in his autobiography: "There were two paintings that I particularly liked. Both were executed in various tones of brown and ochre colours with lighter highlights. One was of an old, bent over man walking along a long country road with a tethered goat trailing behind him. They were walking to the light and but for a light horizon, the rest of the sky was heavy and stormy. The other was of a large freshly ploughed potato field, a 'pratie field' as the locals described them, moving out towards a small hillock with two groups of windswept trees on it. There was a crack of light on the horizon but the rest of the sky was like in the other painting, heavy and stormy. Basil described them both as powerful paintings, in fact, that was a favourite expression of his and I wholly agreed with him......…[he] offered me four small paintings and one large oil painting and asked if I would like to take them back with me. Wow! Would I ever! I almost got on to my knees to thank him, for the large painting was actually the one of the ploughed potato field (a pratie field) that I had really liked when he showed it to me earlier on in the week […] The fourth picture was an oil painting of a horse inside an old stable"

              Whyte's
            • Head
              May. 10, 2023

              Head

              Est: €4,000 - €6,000

              Basil Blackshaw 1932 - 2016 Head signed BLACKSHAW (lower right) oil on board unframed: 31 by 26cm.; 12¼ by 10¼in. framed: 52 by 47cm.; 20½ by 18½in. Executed in 2003. __________________________________________________________________________ Basil Blackshaw 1932 - 2016 Head signé BLACKSHAW (en bas à droite) huile sur panneau sans cadre: 31 by 26cm.; 12¼ by 10¼in. avec cadre: 52 by 47cm.; 20½ by 18½in. Exécuté en 2003.

              Sotheby's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Washing Line (2007)
              Apr. 18, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Washing Line (2007)

              Est: €4,000 - €6,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Washing Line (2007) oil and mixed media on card signed 'BLACKSHAW' top right h:42  w:35.50 cm. Provenance: Peppercanister Gallery, Dublin (label verso); Private Collection A work that captures perfectly the pleasure Basil Blackshaw took in painting, Washing Line shows how the artist could take even the humblest subject-matter, and translate it into a joyful celebration of light, animation and colour. The brushwork is lively, and the background almost entirely non-figurative-although perhaps Blackshaw wanted to evoke a sudden downpour of rain--but the painting still retains a strong sense of the everyday world, with various articles of clothing pegged to the clothesline, forming a gentle arc across the upper part of the painting. Born in 1932 in Glengormley, Co. Antrim, Basil Blackshaw attended 'Methody', the Methodist College in Belfast. He then enrolled, aged fifteen, at the Belfast College of Art, where T. P. Flanagan was a fellow-student. Among Blackshaw's tutors was Romeo Toogood, a member of the progressive Ulster Unit. Although Blackshaw admired, and emulated, the work of Franz Marc and Oskar Kokoschka, he was inspired also by the more academic paintings of Alfred Munnings. A scholarship in 1951 enabled him to travel to London and Paris, and on returning to Northern Ireland he quickly established himself, with the Ulster Museum organizing a solo show in 1954, and acquiring his painting The Field (1953). Married for a time to the Australian abstract painter Anna Ritchie-they had one child, Anya-Blackshaw continued to develop his career, exhibiting at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art and with the Hendriks Gallery in Dublin. He took a break for several years, but in the early 1970's resumed painting, and in 1974 a retrospective of his work was held at the Arts Council Gallery in Belfast. He was included in the Rosc exhibitions of 1971, 1980 and 1988. From 1986 to 1990 Blackshaw designed posters for the Field Day Theatre Company in Derry. A second retrospective was held at the Ormeau Baths Gallery in 1995, and at the RHA Gallery in 1997. In 2012 an exhibition to celebrate Blackshaw's eightieth year was held at the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio. Peter Murray, March 2023

              Morgan O'Driscoll
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Frightened Cockerel
              Apr. 18, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Frightened Cockerel

              Est: €12,000 - €18,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Frightened Cockerel oil on canvas signed 'BLACKSHAW' lower right and titled verso h:61  w:50.40 cm. Provenance: Private Collection Lively and expressive, this painting of a cockerel demonstrates Blackshaw's command of colour and gestural paintwork, while also confirming his ability to capture the essence of the animal world, translating his careful observation of movement and anatomy into brilliant and rapidly-painted images. The painting is a virtuoso exercise, with almost no distinction between the bird and its background. The cockerel stands erect, tail feathers fanned out and talons extended, as it prepares to defend its territory. Painting rapidly, the artist accentuates its fierce eye, sharp beak and spurs. During the 1980s and 90s, Blackshaw painted a series of studies of cockerels, including one entitled The Dust Settles, showing two cockerels taking a break from fighting. As comb and wattle appear to have been removed from the cockerel in this painting, it may well depict a bird specially bred for fighting. Born in 1932 in Glengormley, Co. Antrim, in 1947 Blackshaw enrolled as a student at the Belfast College of Art, where T. P. Flanagan was a fellow-student. Among his tutors was Romeo Toogood, a member of the progressive Ulster Unit. Although Blackshaw admired, and emulated, the work of Franz Marc and Oskar Kokoschka, he was inspired also by Alfred Munnings' paintings of animals. A scholarship in 1951 enabled him to travel to London and Paris, and on returning to Northern Ireland he quickly established himself, with the Ulster Museum organizing a solo show in 1954, and acquiring his painting The Field (1953). Married for a time to the Australian abstract painter Anna Ritchie-they had one child, Anya-Blackshaw continued to develop his career, exhibiting at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art and with the Hendriks Gallery in Dublin. He took a break for several years, but in the early 1970s resumed painting, and in 1974 a retrospective was held at the Arts Council Gallery in Belfast. Blackshaw was included in the Rosc exhibitions of 1971, 1980 and 1988. From 1986 to 1990 he designed posters for the Field Day Theatre Company in Derry. A second retrospective was held at the Ormeau Baths Gallery in 1995, and at the RHA Gallery in 1997, the success of which confirmed his place as a leading contemporary Irish painter. In 2012 an exhibition to celebrate Blackshaw's eightieth year was held at the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio. Peter Murray, March 2023

              Morgan O'Driscoll
            • Basil Blackshaw, HRHA, RUA (1932-2016) 'Man on Horseback,' [Drover Series]
              Apr. 18, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw, HRHA, RUA (1932-2016) 'Man on Horseback,' [Drover Series]

              Est: €1,400 - €1,800

              Basil Blackshaw, HRHA, RUA (1932-2016) 'Man on Horseback,' [Drover Series], oils and marker on paper, signed lower left, approx. 22cms x 16cms (9'' x 6 1/4''), mounted and framed, 'Kerlin Gallery' label on back. (1)

              Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) NUDE
              Mar. 06, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) NUDE

              Est: €2,500 - €3,500

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) NUDE oil on paper signed lower left h:7  w:9.25 in. Provenance: Stables Gallery, Ballymoney; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BROWN DOG
              Mar. 06, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BROWN DOG

              Est: €5,000 - €7,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BROWN DOG oil on paper signed upper left h:8  w:9.50 in. Provenance: Taylor Gallery, Belfast; Private collection Literature: Mike Catto, Basil Blackshaw, Art and the Man, Cara, In Flight Magazine of Aer Lingus, Volume 18, no. 5, September/October 1985, p. 33 (illustrated)

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) View of Saul, Downpatrick Oil on canvas, 25 x 35cm (9¾ x13¾) Signed Provenance: With Grant Fine Art, label verso
              Mar. 01, 2023

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) View of Saul, Downpatrick Oil on canvas, 25 x 35cm (9¾ x13¾) Signed Provenance: With Grant Fine Art, label verso

              Est: €1,500 - €2,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) View of Saul, Downpatrick Oil on canvas, 25 x 35cm (9¾ x13¾) Signed Provenance: With Grant Fine Art, label verso

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Cockerel Oil on canvas, 40 x 50cm (15¾ x 19¾) Signed Provenance: With Solomon Gallery, Dublin, label verso; Collection of the late Vincent Ferguson; Private Collection
              Dec. 07, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Cockerel Oil on canvas, 40 x 50cm (15¾ x 19¾) Signed Provenance: With Solomon Gallery, Dublin, label verso; Collection of the late Vincent Ferguson; Private Collection

              Est: €20,000 - €30,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Cockerel Oil on canvas, 40 x 50cm (15¾ x 19¾) Signed Provenance: With Solomon Gallery, Dublin, label verso; Collection of the late Vincent Ferguson; Private Collection

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) Washing Line, Dublin Mountains (2007) Oil and mixed media on card, 42 x 36cm (16½ x 14¼) Signed Provenance: With Peppercannister Gallery, Dublin
              Dec. 07, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) Washing Line, Dublin Mountains (2007) Oil and mixed media on card, 42 x 36cm (16½ x 14¼) Signed Provenance: With Peppercannister Gallery, Dublin

              Est: €5,000 - €8,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932 - 2016) Washing Line, Dublin Mountains (2007) Oil and mixed media on card, 42 x 36cm (16½ x 14¼) Signed Provenance: With Peppercannister Gallery, Dublin

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) ANOTHER PLACE
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) ANOTHER PLACE

              Est: €1,000 - €1,500

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) ANOTHER PLACE signed lower right oil on paper; (double-sided) h:11  w:8 in. Provenance: Whyte's, 26 November 2018, lot 79; Private collection Literature: Yates, Paul, Mourne, Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast, 2005 p.191 (illustrated) A PLACE Neither Here nor there, walking alone Through anywhere But with a mountain for company, The One Setting the pace for the other. With a second painting depicting seagulls above a stormy ocean on reverse. This image is not featured in the Mourne editions. A copy of the publication, Mourne, accompanies this lot. In 2005 the Tom Caldwell Gallery publisher MOURNE, designed by fellow artist Colin Davidson, a limited edition hardback and paperback collection of Paul Yates' poems with images by Basil Blackshaw to wide critical acclaim.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) DUNADRY BANKS, FOUR VIEWS AFTER THE POEM OF THE SAME NAME BY PAUL YATES [SET OF FOUR]
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) DUNADRY BANKS, FOUR VIEWS AFTER THE POEM OF THE SAME NAME BY PAUL YATES [SET OF FOUR]

              Est: €8,000 - €12,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) DUNADRY BANKS, FOUR VIEWS AFTER THE POEM OF THE SAME NAME BY PAUL YATES [SET OF FOUR] mixed media on paper; (4) three signed lower right; one signed lower left h:11.50  w:11.50 in. Provenance: Whyte's, 28 November 2006, lot 29; Private collection; Whyte's, 27 November 2017, lot 72; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) TREE STUDY
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) TREE STUDY

              Est: €1,800 - €2,200

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) TREE STUDY charcoal and wash signed lower left; inscribed on label on reverse h:31.50  w:21.75 in.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BUTTERFLIES
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BUTTERFLIES

              Est: €1,000 - €1,500

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BUTTERFLIES chalks and gouache with Certificate of Authenticy signed by the artist's daughter affixed to reverse h:6.75  w:5 in. Provenance: The artist's studio; Thence by descent; Adam's, 29 March 2017, lot 145; Private collection Study of Fighting Cockerel verso in red chalk behind backing board.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BUTTERFLIES
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BUTTERFLIES

              Est: €6,000 - €8,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) BUTTERFLIES oil on canvas signed lower left h:18  w:14 in. Provenance: Emer Gallery, Belfast; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) RUIN
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) RUIN

              Est: €1,000 - €1,500

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) RUIN pencil and gouache signed lower right; signed again on reverse h:7.75  w:5.50 in.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) HORSE
              Nov. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) HORSE

              Est: €8,000 - €12,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) HORSE bronze; (no. 7 from an edition of 9) signed and numbered on base h:12.25  w:16 d:5 in. Provenance: Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast, 2016; Private collection With certificate of authenticity from Bronze Art, Fine Art Foundry.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw, HRHA, RUA (1932-2016) "Man on Horseback," [Drover Series], oils and marker on
              Nov. 16, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw, HRHA, RUA (1932-2016) "Man on Horseback," [Drover Series], oils and marker on

              Est: €2,000 - €3,000

              Basil Blackshaw, HRHA, RUA (1932-2016) "Man on Horseback," [Drover Series], oils and marker on paper, signed  lower left, approx. 22cms x 16cms (9" x 6 1/4"), mounted and framed, "Kerlin Gallery" label on back. (1)

              Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Orchard, Ballinderry Mixed media on paper, 56 x 84 (22 x 23) Signed and inscribed with title verso Exhibited: Tom Caldwell Gallery, March 1981
              Sep. 28, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Orchard, Ballinderry Mixed media on paper, 56 x 84 (22 x 23) Signed and inscribed with title verso Exhibited: Tom Caldwell Gallery, March 1981

              Est: €3,000 - €5,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Orchard, Ballinderry Mixed media on paper, 56 x 84 (22 x 23) Signed and inscribed with title verso Exhibited: Tom Caldwell Gallery, March 1981

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) IRENE CALVERT MP, 1952
              Sep. 26, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) IRENE CALVERT MP, 1952

              Est: €4,000 - €6,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) IRENE CALVERT MP, 1952 oil on canvas signed and dated upper right h:27  w:20 in. Provenance: Commissioned by the sitter; Thence by descent; Whyte's, 24 November 2014, lot 45; Private collection Exhibited: CEMA 'Basil Blackshaw & Martin McKeown', Donegall Street Gallery, Belfast, September 1952 It was following, and partly as a result of this commission, that the artist was commissioned to paint the then Governor of Northern Ireland, Lord Wakehurst. Irene Calvert (1909–2000) was a Northern Irish politician and economist. Born in Belfast, as Lilian Irene Mercer Earls, she studied at Methodist College, Belfast. She studied economics and philosophy at Queen's University, Belfast. In 1941 she was appointed Chief Welfare Officer for Northern Ireland, immediately having to organise care for a flood of wartime evacuees. In 1944, she contested a by-election for the Queen's University Belfast constituency. She was unsuccessful but stood again in the Northern Ireland general election, 1945, as an independent (non-party) candidate, and on this occasion succeeded in taking a seat at Stormont. She held the seat until she stood down at the 1953 election. In Parliament, she avoided the traditional Unionist versus Nationalist arguments, which she regarded as a distraction from the real task of social reform, including the passage of the Education Act, 1947. In her resignation speech, she did however question whether the Northern Irish economy could thrive while the partition of Ireland continued. In 1950 Calvert began working at the Ulster Weaving Company as an economist, and having successfully helped build up their institutional sales was appointed a managing director. In 1956 she was invited to become a group chairman at the Duke of Edinburgh's Study Conference on Industry. She also served on the Belfast City Chamber of Commerce, becoming its first woman president in 1965–1966. She also served on Queen's University's Senate and Board of Curators, and was active in the Irish Association. In 1964, she worked as an executive manager with Great Southern Hotels, a subsidiary of CIE, the Irish Transport Company, with whom she worked until early 1970. She retired to Dublin where she was an active supporter of the Irish Labour Party until her death in 2000.

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) A CHESTNUT COB
              Sep. 26, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) A CHESTNUT COB

              Est: €6,000 - €8,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) A CHESTNUT COB oil on board signed lower left h:13  w:15 in. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the original owner; Whyte's, 18 May 2009, lot 18; Private collection; Emer Gallery, Belfast; Private collection

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) PENELOPE COLLINS
              Jun. 06, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) PENELOPE COLLINS

              Est: €10,000 - €15,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) PENELOPE COLLINS oil on canvas signed twice lower right; with Tom Caldwell Gallery label on reverse h:24  w:20 in. Provenance: Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast, 1976; Private collection Although not best known as a portrait painter, Basil Blackshaw was an exceptionally fine one, and much in demand. In fact, Brian Fallon wrote that if he was known only for his portraits, he would still be a major figure in Irish painting. As an artist, he disdained formality, and his approach to portraiture, as to everything else he painted, was informal, almost conversational. Besides many commissioned subjects, including notable cultural figures, he was moved to paint those who interested him. That includes his regular model, Jude Stephens, and others. The subject here, Penelope Collins, was a subject he painted out of interest. He liked and respected Patrick Collins' work, and Vincent Ferguson, who was a keen supporter of both artists, was a point of connection between them. Penelope is the daughter of Patrick and Patricia Collins. Collins confirmed his status as an established artist in Dublin with his first solo show at the Ritchie Hendriks Gallery in 1956. He was already well known around town: a fan of Ulysses, he had originally aspired to be a writer but gradually came around to painting. Dark, handsome and fiercely independent, he fell in love with dancer and choreographer Patricia Ryan (nee Kinneen). Their relationship broke up her marriage with the well-known writer and publisher John Ryan, another noted Joyce enthusiast and proprietor of The Bailey. Collins, stubborn and decidedly undomestic, could be a difficult person to live with, and their marriage was tempestuous. Their daughter Penelope, who inherited the striking, dark looks of both her parents, herself became an artist. Her exhibition Ballet in a Hatbox - 1943, A Dance Odyssey drew on her research into her mother's life as a teacher and dancer in the 1940s. Aidan Dunne May 2022

              Whyte's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) No. 12 Jimmy Harrison Cottage Oil on board, 53 x 59.5cm (20¾ x 23½'') Signed Provenance: With The Bell Gallery, Belfast, label verso
              Jun. 01, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) No. 12 Jimmy Harrison Cottage Oil on board, 53 x 59.5cm (20¾ x 23½'') Signed Provenance: With The Bell Gallery, Belfast, label verso

              Est: €6,000 - €10,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) No. 12 Jimmy Harrison Cottage Oil on board, 53 x 59.5cm (20¾ x 23½'') Signed Provenance: With The Bell Gallery, Belfast, label verso

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Harold's Cross, Triptych Charcoal and pencil, 20 x 21cm each (7¾x 8¼'') One signed Provenance: With Tom Caldwell Gallery.
              Jun. 01, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Harold's Cross, Triptych Charcoal and pencil, 20 x 21cm each (7¾x 8¼'') One signed Provenance: With Tom Caldwell Gallery.

              Est: €3,000 - €5,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Harold's Cross, Triptych Charcoal and pencil, 20 x 21cm each (7¾x 8¼'') One signed Provenance: With Tom Caldwell Gallery.

              Adam's
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Towards the West II (1986)
              Apr. 26, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Towards the West II (1986)

              Est: €6,000 - €9,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Towards the West II (1986) oil on paper signed lower left and dated '86 h:101  w:68 cm. Provenance: Hendrik's Gallery, Dublin (label verso); These Rooms, 30th April 2018, lot 85, Private Collection

              Morgan O'Driscoll
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Two Flowers
              Apr. 26, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Two Flowers

              Est: €1,500 - €2,500

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Two Flowers oil on board signed lower left h:23.50  w:29.50 cm. Provenance: Emer Gallery, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection

              Morgan O'Driscoll
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Waiting for the Pigeons to Come Home (1996)
              Apr. 26, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Waiting for the Pigeons to Come Home (1996)

              Est: €15,000 - €20,000

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Waiting for the Pigeons to Come Home (1996) oil on canvas signed lower left and dated 1996 verso h:92  w:76.50 cm. Provenance: Nicholas Gallery, Belfast; Private Collection Literature: Blackshaw edited by Eamonn Mallie - Plate 122 (illustrated on page 282 - 283). Justly celebrated as a painter of animals, notably horses, dogs and cockerels as well as the human figure and portrait heads, Basil Blackshaw here turns his attention to a distinct type of human animal: pigeon fanciers. The two fanciers depicted here are exemplars of people who fascinated the painter, people who develop and value a fascination and perhaps a rapport with other animals. Blackshaw, the youngest of seven siblings, was a lifelong country-dweller who was never quite at ease in the city. Animals were prominent in his life from the beginning: his father was a horse-trainer. Dog-breeding was part of the scene. Cockerels were also a fixture. Horse and dog people were forever stopping by the house. After finishing his art studies - he was recognised as being precociously talented - he took on the predictable teaching hours. And hated it. Famously, after a spell of heavy snow closed the art school, he simply never went back. And similarly quit a subsequent teaching post. Many of his painting feature horses and riders. People with dogs are another recurrent subject. Invariably, Blackshaw aims to encapsulate the connections between humans and animals. Ideas of appraisal, rapport and admiration are common and, always, a feeling of concentration, a rapt attentiveness. In a 1972 painting, Edge of Town Men, three men, seated, in a rural setting, survey and discuss a number of dogs at ease in the foreground. More than twenty years later, this comparable painting presents us with the human side of the equation, in a scene that is relaxed, but charged with the expectation of the arrival of the absent pigeons. Aidan Dunne, March 2022

              Morgan O'Driscoll
            • Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) In the Old Shop Pen and ink, 21 x 15cm (8¼ x 6'') Signed Provenance: Sale, these rooms, 27th March 2018, lot no.89; private collection.
              Mar. 30, 2022

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) In the Old Shop Pen and ink, 21 x 15cm (8¼ x 6'') Signed Provenance: Sale, these rooms, 27th March 2018, lot no.89; private collection.

              Est: €500 - €700

              Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) In the Old Shop Pen and ink, 21 x 15cm (8¼ x 6'') Signed Provenance: Sale, these rooms, 27th March 2018, lot no.89; private collection.

              Adam's
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