Edward Brian Seago, R.W.S.

STRUCTURE Original canvas. There is a small area of craquelure either side the trunk of the left hand tree; the surface should benefit from a light clean otherwise in good overall condition with passages of impasto. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. FRAME Held in a moulded plaster frame.
"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."

With its brilliant, raking light through morning mists and its long shadows, Early Morning, Britford Lane demonstrates Seago's influence by artists such as Sir George Clausen whose later works treat similar subjects with a similar palette and lighting. The theme of the plough-team and young rustics was a traditional one but here is given a freshness. Seago loved the British countryside and celebrated its beauty, traditions and changing weather with a dramatic and fluid use of texture and colour which looks back to the work of John Constable and the painters of the Norwich School that he so admired, but is also very much 'of its time'. The role of the cart-horse in agriculture was rapidly being superseded by mechanisation in the 1930s and 1940s and Seago wanted to capture the vigour of these strong, beautiful animals before they vanished from the countryside to be replaced by the less romantic tractor.

Britford Lane, little more than a country track in the 1940s, lies to the south-east of Salisbury and runs through the water meadows of the River Avon.