Beschreibung:

Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Horses Exercising: Early Morning Oil on canvas, 71 x 92cm (28 x 36'') Provenance: Tom Caldwell Galleries, Belfast, from whom purchased by the present owner. Basil Blackshaw was the son of a horse trainer and numerous accounts recall that his life revolved around two things: horses and dogs. Although not limited to this subject matter, his passion for these animals is transferred through to his painting and we are left with an abundance of works which celebrate an equine theme. From each of these pieces, the viewer is able to grasp the understanding that Blackshaw had for these animals and it quickly becomes evident that he shared the same sensitivity as his trainer father. For someone who grew up with the industry, Horses Exercising: Early Morning would have been a well-versed scene to Blackshaw and it is through this familiarity that he so artfully captures the moment. Scuffing the surface of the canvas with a light grey paint, Blackshaw forms his mist as it rises from the ground, establishing the veil through which his picture must be viewed. In an almost spectral manner, Blackshaws horses and riders emerge from within, the damp chillness filling their lungs and enveloping their bodies as they stretch off their recent slumber. A subdued scene, thrumming with the silence of dawn, we are disturbed by the agitation of the central horse. As he sways his head and contrarily lifts his leg we cannot help but feel the restrained energy pulsing through body. With his mind focussed on the win, he is already seeking to gain the lead, obediently holding back until given the signal by his rider. The permanence of this stillness is as much a mirage as the mist around them, each element waiting to snap with the thunder of hooves. Mirroring his subject matter, Blackshaw himself shows a certain restraint with this painting, allowing the simple lines of his draughtsmanship to carry the work. Using only a thin layer of paint, Blackshaw coaxes the image from the grain of the canvas and employs this transparency to further enhance the transience of this moment. Indeed, viewers are left to walk away from this image with the sense that the subject will continue after they leave. Muscles will warm, mud will fly and sweat will drip. The only constant will be the canvas itself. Basil Blackshaw HRHA RUA (1932-2016) Horses Exercising: Early Morning Oil on canvas, 71 x 92cm (28 x 36'') Provenance: Tom Caldwell Galleries, Belfast, from whom purchased by the present owner. Basil Blackshaw was the son of a horse trainer and numerous accounts recall that his life revolved around two things: horses and dogs. Although not limited to this subject matter, his passion for these animals is transferred through to his painting and we are left with an abundance of works which celebrate an equine theme. From each of these pieces, the viewer is able to grasp the understanding that Blackshaw had for these animals and it quickly becomes evident that he shared the same sensitivity as his trainer father. For someone who grew up with the industry, Horses Exercising: Early Morning would have been a well-versed scene to Blackshaw and it is through this familiarity that he so artfully captures the moment. Scuffing the surface of the canvas with a light grey paint, Blackshaw forms his mist as it rises from the ground, establishing the veil through which his picture must be viewed. In an almost spectral manner, Blackshaws horses and riders emerge from within, the damp chillness filling their lungs and enveloping their bodies as they stretch off their recent slumber. A subdued scene, thrumming with the silence of dawn, we are disturbed by the agitation of the central horse. As he sways his head and contrarily lifts his leg we cannot help but feel the restrained energy pulsing through body. With his mind focussed on the win, he is already seeking to gain the lead, obediently holding back until given the signal by his rider. The permanence o