The Antarctic paintings of Edward Seago (1910–1974)

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Codling, Rosamunde
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1997
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Austral; Antarc*; Antarctica; Iceberg*; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400014698; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400014698

Abstract The professional artist Edward Seago (1910–1974) travelled to the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia in the 1956/57 austral summer. Although firmly rooted in the English, and in particular the East Anglian, tradition of landscape painting, Seago was able to portray polar landscapes, which he had not previously experienced, with vigour and delight. He went to Antarctica with a firmly established skill in using oils to capture the essence of a landscape, and, despite being on or near the Antarctic Peninsula for only about three days, he produced about 18 oil paintings, predominantly of landscapes and icescapes. In addition, he painted at least a further 17 works of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the whaling industry, and icebergs in the Southern Ocean. Seago had an excellent memory and was able to ‘reproduce’ earlier works, an ability that has caused some confusion. Examples of these counterparts are discussed. A catalogue of his known Antarctic works is given.