Lot Essay
Seago travelled to France at least five times on his boat the Capricorn, which he sailed himself from Yarmouth, via winding rivers, recording views on his way. Once in Paris he settled near the Place de la Concorde, primarily choosing subjects filled with light and movement, specifically the Tuileries and the Champs-Élysées. The artist recalled, 'For my part I was fascinated by the sunlight and shadow of those crowded walks beneath the chestnut trees, by the ever moving colourful pattern of men, women and children, dogs and perambulators, and the stream of smart limousines and yellow taxi-cabs which roared up the broad thoroughfare' (E. Seago, With Capricorn to Paris, London, 1956, pp. 89-90).