Morgan O'Driscoll Irish & International Art Auction 12th November 2018

62 51 Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Cockerel signed lower left oil on board 51.5 x 42cm (20 x 16in) Provenance: Tom Caldwell Galleries, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection €8,000-€12,000 (£7,142-£10,714) There was no better observer of animals, including the human animal, horses, dogs and more, that Basil Blackshaw. His anten- nae were instinctively attuned to the nervous energy of other beings, alert to the most subtle nuances of posture and movement. While the casual manner of delivery might make it look easy for him, he was in fact the most self-critical and exacting of art- ists. It’s just that, once he had found what he was looking for, he did not believe in adding any superfluous detail.