- Scarce 1953 oil on canvas by Edward Seago, shows Piccadilly and the Ritz Hotel at Coronation time, 1953
- Seago selected as an official artist for the Coronation in 1953 because of Queen Elizabeth’s fondness for his work
- Somerset owner was unaware of its potential until Lawrences visited
- To be auctioned at Lawrences of Crewkerne on October 12th with estimate of £20,000-30,000
The oil on canvas was painted by Edward Seago (1910-1974), who was selected as an official artist for the Coronation in 1953 because of Queen Elizabeth’s fondness for his work.
Not only was one of Seago’s oils selected by HM The Queen as the most successful depiction of the Coronation procession but the artist himself made gifts of pictures twice a year to the Queen Mother up until his death in 1974.
The picture to be offered at Lawrences on October 12th was painted in June 1953 when Seago was still in London following the Coronation. It shows a bustle of traffic and pedestrians near the Ritz Hotel (on the left).
Richard Kay, Lawrences’ picture specialist, finds it a fascinating example of Seago’s work. “His London views are relatively scarce, for Seago is better known for his coastal subjects and landscapes in East Anglia,” says Richard.
“This picture, painted when he was still formulating his highly distinctive technique, shows him accomplishing a complex scene with skill. With a keen eye for light combined with a fluent technique of great panache, he captures the sense of liveliness in a subject such as this through the use of attenuated figures and mere hints of form which suggest fleeting movement.”