'MERELY RECORDING IMPRESSIONS'

An important collection of Edward Seago works

Edward Seago was and remains one of the most popular English landscape painters of the 20th Century. He was born and lived in Norfolk throughout his life his work shows the influence of the great East Anglian artists, from the 17th Century Dutch-inspired Norwich School, to John Constable and Sir Alfred Munnings. Known for his light-filled landscapes with vast skies and billowing clouds, he imbued his work with, what one critic described as 'an understated emotional language'

In the forthcoming auction of ‘Modern Art & Design’ on 20 April, Chorley’s are delighted to be offering a significant group of paintings by British artist Edward Seago as part of the auction of the contents of Ready Token House near Cirencester, which – belying its traditional Cotswold exterior – was furnished with modern and contemporary furnishings and art blended with traditional features and furnishings.

Edward Seago (1910-1974)

Edward Seago was and remains one of the most popular English landscape painters of the 20th Century. He was born and lived in Norfolk throughout his life his work shows the influence of the great East Anglian artists, from the 17th-century Dutch-inspired Norwich School, to John Constable and Sir Alfred Munnings. Known for his light-filled landscapes with vast skies and billowing clouds, he imbued his work with what one critic described as 'an understated emotional language'.

Largely self-taught, Seago was influenced and encouraged by leading landscape painters such as Alfred East and Bertram Priestman, advising him not 'to be unduly governed by what you see in art, but by what you see in nature'.

Seago’s work gained popular appeal and his sell-out exhibitions had queues around the block, whilst art critics saw him 'merely recording his visual impressions' and he struggled to have his work critically acclaimed in the context of 20^th century modernism with abstraction playing a major part in 20^th century ‘isms’.

Whilst mostly ignored by academia, he was a firm favourite with generations of the Royal Family. In 1956, he joined Prince Philip on a trip to the Antarctic aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia.

An oil study for his painting of the young monarch, HRH Queen Elizabeth at her Birthday parade in 1953 has fleeting brushstrokes, yet exhibits a masterful rendering of the grandeur of the occasion and equine anatomy.

Edward Seago (1910-1974) Study of HRH Queen Elizabeth II on horseback, at her birthday parade in 1953

Estimate: £15,000 – 20,000

As Seago’s style matured and he searched for his own unique voice, coastal landscapes became an increasingly popular motif in his work. Both British and continental examples are shown in the auction in oil and watercolours.

Edward Seago (1910-1974) Gathering Storm, Suffolk Coast, watercolour

Estimate £3,000-5,000

Edward Seago (1910-1974) Barges at Rest, oil on board

£12,000-18,000

Travelling the continent, Seago explored Spanish, French and Portuguese landscapes but always returned to the calm beauty of home with both land and seascapes of Norfolk and Suffolk.