Masterpiece: Rainy Day on the Quay, Edward Seago Rba Arws Rws (1910-1974) Marine Landscape Norfolk East Anglia Original Watercolour Exquisite Provenance

The most atmospheric rendition of fishermen and traders on a dock in East Anglia in the 1950s. Our watercolour is a wonderful example of Seago's virtuosity. Light, clouds, mist, movement are here depicted with the effortlessness that is the sign of the greatest skill and talent.

Norwich-born Seago developed his skill and technique from studying British masters such as fellow East Anglian, Constable. He also received advice from Sir Afred Munnings and Bertram Priestman in his early career. Soon Seago came to enjoy a wide range of admirers, from the British Royal family to the Aga Khan.

His popularity was such that those who wished to buy one of his paintings had to wait in

line to enter his exhibitions around the world -with the single exception of the late Queen

Mother, one of his most eager patrons.

Seago was one of the official artists appointed to paint the Queen's Coronation and was

invited by The Duke of Edinburgh on an expedition to Antarctica. His subsequent

paintings, considered to be among his best, hang at Balmoral.

You need not be a royalist to appreciate Seago’s art. James Reid, his biographer, is spot on when he explains that, while Seago’s subject matter evolved within a fundamentally traditional genre, his methodology,

style and technique however contributed to an innovative interpretation of the rural urban, urban and marine scene. I wholly agree with Portland Galleries, who point out that: “this

innovative interpretation relied on a wonderfully fluid and refreshing use of paint which makes Seago’s work is recognisably spontaneous - a moment captured in oil or watercolour, retaining the essential mood of the occasion, whether vibrant or reflective”

Our watercolour has lovely provenance: it was acquired from Kennedy Galleries in New York. For over 125 years, Kennedy Galleries was the foremost authority and dealer in American and European art, and helped build the finest collections of paintings and sculpture, in both the United States and Europe.

Seago exhibited at Kennedy Galleries in 1952, 1954, 1959 and 1961, so the painting can be precisely dated to that decade. Presented in its original frame with the Kennedy Gally label and inventory number, the artwork has been re-matted and mounted with archive materials. Measuring 25.5 x 36 cm at sight, the overall framed size is 55.5 x 62 cm

Nous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.