Edward Seago, R.W.S., R.B.A. (1910-1974)

Seago frequently sailed along the Seine aboard his own yacht, Capricorn. Sometimes stopping at Dieppe or along the Tancarville Canal, he delighted in visiting Honfleur the most. When Seago first visited Honfleur in 1951 he was completely captivated by the little port, confessing his heart to have 'missed a beat with excitement'. In this painting Seago captures the hours of calm between the fishermen finishing their duties at the harbour, and the opening of the shops and restaurants that line the colourful waterfront beyond. The dialogue between the two fisherman who appear in the shade powerfully contrast with the emerging sunlight, and the glistening effect this has on the water. Seago's journeys in France allowed him to experimentwith accommodating multiple shapes into a unified composition. This sense of converging diagonals is accentuated in this work, as Seago experiments with the masts and landmarks of the harbour, against the settling horizon of the water below.