Edward Brian Seago

Edward Seago R.W.S. (British, 1910-1974) Honfleur signed 'Edward Seago' (lower right) oil on board 50.8 x 76.2 cm. (20 x 30 in.) PROVENANCE: With Marlborough Gallery, London where acquired by the family of the present owner Seago made eight major painting trips to France between 1951 and 1967, often to explore the coastal region and northern waterways. For these trips Seago had his beloved yacht, The Capricorn , fitted with extra racking for canvases and boards, stocked the companionway drawers with spare tubes of paint, distilled turpentine and rolls of cotton wool alongside provisions to last up to three months at a time. He would make his way along the coast and wind up the Seine towards Paris, mooring en route to paint scenes in and around Dieppe, Rouen, Duclair, to name but a few, and notably here the estuary town of Honfleur. In his memoirs Seago speaks of his first trip to Honfleur as 'a moment whose recollection he would always treasure and one for which he was profoundly grateful', so much so that 'his heart missed a beat with excitement' (Edward Seago, With Capricorn to Paris , Collins, London, 1956, p.128). Perhaps this instantaneous infatuation with the town stems in some part from his admiration for the Honfleurais artist Eugène Boudin, a pioneer of the en plein air method that Seago adopted so heartily. The resultant paintings from this happy time can be viewed as formative within the artist's output, James W. Reid notes of the works from this period that 'as he (Seago) developed new techniques, embarked upon new subject matter and explored new uses of colour, a greater confidence appeared in his work ... He seemed to explode in a burst of creative energy. The body of work that he produced was as notable for its high quality as for the artist's formalisation of an already mature style into one that would henceforth make his paintings and watercolours immediately recognisable' (James W. Reid, Edward Seago, The Landscape Art , Sotheby's Publications, London, 1991, p.180)

Description Edward Seago R.W.S., R.B.A. (1910-1974) Landscape in Southern Spain Oil on canvas Signed lower left 66 x 91.5 cm (26 x 36 in) Provenance: with P & D Colnaghi Ltd. Please note this lot may be subject to droit de suite. condition report Some fine craqueleure to thicker areas of paint, light surface dirt, may benefit from a clean

Edward Seago, R.W.S., R.B.A. (1910-1974) Caserta, near Naples with later inscription 'This was painted by Edward Seago on a visit he paid to my father, Gen Sir William Morgan, when he was commanding the allied forces in the Mediterranean. It depicts the countryside near the allies headquarters in the Royal Palace at Caserta, outside Naples. It is probably the valley over the hill behind the royal hunting lodge.' (on a label on the reverse) oil on board 8½ x 10½ in. (21.6 x 26.8 cm.)

Lot 505 Edward Seago (British, 1910-1974) The Marsh Hill (Sketch) Signed "Edward Seago" l.l., identified on a Marlborough Fine Art, London, label on the reverse, titled in a later hand on the reverse. Oil on Masonite, 10 1/2 x 14 in. (26.7 x 35.6 cm), framed. Condition: Abrasion l.l., surface grime. Estimate $8,000-12,000

Description Edward Seago R.W.S., R.B.A. (1910-1974) Landscape in Southern Spain Oil on canvas Signed lower left 66 x 91.5 cm (26 x 36 in) Provenance: with P & D Colnaghi Ltd. Please note this lot may be subject to droit de suite. condition report Some fine craqueleure to thicker areas of paint, light surface dirt, may benefit from a clean