antiquesandartireland.com

With 40 lots from the studio of Basil Blackshaw, a view of Clare Island from Achill by Paul Henry, an evocation of a solo singer at the Queen’s Theatre in Dublin by Jack B. Yeats and an iconic portrait of poet Mairtin O Cadhain by Sean O’Sullivan, the evening sale of Important Irish Art at James Adam on March 29 amounts to a celebration of artistic Irishness.

O Cadhain (1906-1970) is regarded as the most original and powerful writer in the Irish language for many generations. The portrait, estimated at just 4,000-6,000, was reproduced in most of his published work from 1953 onwards. It was used in an An Post stamp celebrating Celtic Scholars in 2006. The catalogue cover lot is Model Reading by Roderic O’Conor (18,000-25,000), the Henry seascape is estimated at 40,000-60,000 and the Yeats at 50,000-80,000. Estimates for the Blackshaw works vary from 500 to 10,000 for his portrait of Clint Eastwood.  The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 23, 2017)