Edward Seago, R.W.S.

Mrs Ann Chilcott;
London, Marlborough Fine Art;
Private collection

London, Marlborough Fine Art, Edward Seago (1910-1974) Paintings and Watercolours, March-April 1|980, no.9

Francis W. Hawcroft, Edward Seago, A Review of the Years 1953-1964, 1965, illus. pl. 26

STRUCTURE This picture is relined and in very good condition with original impasto. There are areas of craquelure in the sky but the paint surface appears to be stable throughout. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT There do not appear to be any retouchings. FRAME This picture is contained in a moulded plaster frame in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Seago made his first visit to Portugal in 1953 and soon afterwards began a series of pictures of the four-masted schooners anchored at the mouth of the river Tagus on the Atlantic, the bacalhoeiros named after the Portuguese word for cod (bacalhau). It is likely that the present picture depicts the beautiful barquantine called the Gazela, captained by João Matais, anchored at the port of Bélem, five miles from Lisbon. The Gazela was the subject of several pictures by Seago who wrote of his appreciation of the Portuguese ships, 'It is my love of sailing ships which draws me to Portugal in the early spring. In the yellow-grey waters of the Targus there assembles a fleet of four-masted schooners... manned by weather-beaten Portuguese fishermen clad in the check shirts of the Nazaré. Where else in the world can you see, not one, but a couple of dozen such ships ready to put to sea?' (James W. Reid, Edward Seago, The Landscape Art, 1991, p. 213)