Bidding on this item has ended.
Basil Blackshaw
ANGEL III
Lot 28
Price Realised:
€8,000
Estimate:
€3,000 - €5,000
Basil Blackshaw HRHA, RUA, 1932-2016
ANGEL III
Acrylic on canvas, 60" x 54" (152.4 x 137.2cm), signed and dated '89 verso; label verso.
Exhibited: The Narrow Water Gallery, 1989; Maeve Hall ran the gallery from the garden floor of the ca...
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Lot 28
Basil Blackshaw
ANGEL III
Lot 28
Basil Blackshaw
ANGEL III
Estimate:
€3,000 - €5,000
Basil Blackshaw HRHA, RUA, 1932-2016
ANGEL III
Acrylic on canvas, 60" x 54" (152.4 x 137.2cm), signed and dated '89 verso; label verso.
Exhibited: The Narrow Water Gallery, 1989; Maeve Hall ran the gallery from the garden floor of the castle, situated on Carlingford Lough; RHA, 1997 (Arts Council of Northern Ireland label verso).
Literature: BLACKSHAW by Eamonn Mallie (no. 216)
I believe in Angels...
Basil Blackshaw believed in Angels, Abba believed in Angels and clearly Abbas Father believed in Angels.
The first time I clapped my eyes on Angel work 1, 11, 111 by Blackshaw he was working on them in his studio at Rough Lane in County Antrim where he was living. I was not surprised at his choice of subject but I was overwhelmed by the scale of the works and the explosion of colour.
The Eighties represented a late blossoming in the artist's output. Up until then Basil's colours were more muted. The first step change in Blackshaw's direction of travel was born with Joe Bell's Council House in 1983. Here the work was more minimalist and less formal to which more colour was added. Further large canvases would start rolling off Blackshaw's easle in colour. We had 'A Fall' in 1983 followed by Head of Traveller 1 1985, Head of Traveller 2 1985 and Head of Traveller 3 1985. In 1989 Blackshaw's beauty, 'Dolly' in red, came cantering onto the artist's canvas.
Basil regularly painted small images of angels for his long suffering partner Helen to mark her birthday and as a gift at Christmas. I suspect Blackshaw, a recovering alcoholic, saw Helen as an angel having literally picked him up from the floor many times when he was, 'on the drink'.
My enthusiasm for Basil's angels would manifest itself many years later when I invited him to paint an angel for the front of our daughter Ciara's wedding invitation. Basil painted a beautiful image. Helen and he were invitees to the wedding and they gifted his angel painting as their wedding present to Ciara and Gerard, her husband to be. Later Blackshaw called me to tell me Helen and he were trying to help, 'a poor devil out who needed a bit of money' and that Helen had decided to sell one of the angels from her private collection. They knew I loved that angel. I bought it from them and now it hangs in the home of our younger daughter Laura-Kate. She and her husband Vincent have two little angels who will ultimately inherit Basil's creations.
On one occasion I worked very hard to persuade the previous owner of Angel 1, 11 and 111 now for sale here in deVeres, to let me have them but alas my pursuit ended in failure.
To add anything further about Angel 1, 11 and 111 would be superfluous. The works speak for themselves. In these dark days they would light up any home. I commend them without reservation.
Eamonn Mallie, March 2022
ANGEL III
Acrylic on canvas, 60" x 54" (152.4 x 137.2cm), signed and dated '89 verso; label verso.
Exhibited: The Narrow Water Gallery, 1989; Maeve Hall ran the gallery from the garden floor of the castle, situated on Carlingford Lough; RHA, 1997 (Arts Council of Northern Ireland label verso).
Literature: BLACKSHAW by Eamonn Mallie (no. 216)
I believe in Angels...
Basil Blackshaw believed in Angels, Abba believed in Angels and clearly Abbas Father believed in Angels.
The first time I clapped my eyes on Angel work 1, 11, 111 by Blackshaw he was working on them in his studio at Rough Lane in County Antrim where he was living. I was not surprised at his choice of subject but I was overwhelmed by the scale of the works and the explosion of colour.
The Eighties represented a late blossoming in the artist's output. Up until then Basil's colours were more muted. The first step change in Blackshaw's direction of travel was born with Joe Bell's Council House in 1983. Here the work was more minimalist and less formal to which more colour was added. Further large canvases would start rolling off Blackshaw's easle in colour. We had 'A Fall' in 1983 followed by Head of Traveller 1 1985, Head of Traveller 2 1985 and Head of Traveller 3 1985. In 1989 Blackshaw's beauty, 'Dolly' in red, came cantering onto the artist's canvas.
Basil regularly painted small images of angels for his long suffering partner Helen to mark her birthday and as a gift at Christmas. I suspect Blackshaw, a recovering alcoholic, saw Helen as an angel having literally picked him up from the floor many times when he was, 'on the drink'.
My enthusiasm for Basil's angels would manifest itself many years later when I invited him to paint an angel for the front of our daughter Ciara's wedding invitation. Basil painted a beautiful image. Helen and he were invitees to the wedding and they gifted his angel painting as their wedding present to Ciara and Gerard, her husband to be. Later Blackshaw called me to tell me Helen and he were trying to help, 'a poor devil out who needed a bit of money' and that Helen had decided to sell one of the angels from her private collection. They knew I loved that angel. I bought it from them and now it hangs in the home of our younger daughter Laura-Kate. She and her husband Vincent have two little angels who will ultimately inherit Basil's creations.
On one occasion I worked very hard to persuade the previous owner of Angel 1, 11 and 111 now for sale here in deVeres, to let me have them but alas my pursuit ended in failure.
To add anything further about Angel 1, 11 and 111 would be superfluous. The works speak for themselves. In these dark days they would light up any home. I commend them without reservation.
Eamonn Mallie, March 2022
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In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
PLEASE BID EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.
In order to allow rival bidders the opportunity to respond to a late bid the following extensions will apply:
IF A BID IS RECEIVED WITHIN THE FINAL 45 SECONDS OF THE COUNTDOWN THE CLOCK WILL RESET TO 60 SECONDS.
At any point you can leave a maximum bid, representing the highest price you are prepared to pay for a particular lot. Bidding only advances when there is competition from a rival bidder. In that case the system bids on your behalf, only up to the maximum if required. All bids are relayed to you be email, along with notification if you have been outbid.
All maximum bids are confidential and not disclosed. The system will endeavor to purchase the lot for you for the least price. Bids are subject to buyer’s premium of 25% (incl vat), with no additional charges.
In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
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