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λ Edward Seago (British 1910-1974) Icebergs at Base 'W' off the Grahamland coast Oil on canvas laid to board Signed (lower left) 51 x 66cm (20 x 25 in.) Painted 1956-1957. Provenance: Sale, Christie's, London, 20 June 1996, lot 88 Thompson's Gallery, Suffolk It was aboard HMY Britannia on invitation from the Duke of Edinburgh that Edward Seago explored the seas to visit Antarctica in 1956. HMY Britannia left from Melbourne, Australia where Prince Philip had just opened the Olympics and they sailed for New Zealand. Next they headed east towards the Southern Ocean and over the next month they travelled between the bases that made up the Falkland islands Dependencies Survey. They sailed across the Antarctic Circle on 1st January 1957. Those aboard witnessed Seago's enthusiasm and ability to constantly sketch in order to keep up with the motion surrounding him, including boats and icebergs. Prince Philip was also a keen amateur artist and the pair sketched one another whilst on their voyage across the Antarctic. The most famous of which is depicts The Duke of Edinburgh painting on the deck of HMY Britannia at Seago's easel, which is now held in the private collection of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Describing his time in Antarctica Seago said 'It was full of rich blues and greens and the cavities, particularly in the icebergs which one would expect to be very, very dark, weren't dark. They glowed with the most rich luminous blues and greens which were tremendously exciting to paint.' Jean Goodman, Seago: A Wider Canvas (Norwich: Erskine Press, 2002), p. 221