Edward Seago was born in Norwich in 1910 and, despite a childhood marked by a chronic heart condition, was determined to pursue a career as an artist. Largely self-taught, he sought guidance from Sir Alfred Munnings and Bertram Priestman, developing a confident technique and an assured handling of paint at an early stage. Seago remained closely connected to East Anglia throughout his life, living in Norwich and later at Ludham on the Norfolk Broads. The region provided both subject and context for much of his work, while the legacy of the Norwich School and the example of John Constable informed his approach to landscape and atmosphere. Following the Second World War, he focused increasingly on landscape painting, beginning regular exhibitions at Colnaghi in 1945, where demand for his work was such that exhibitions frequently sold out shortly after opening.

His subjects ranged widely, from the marshes and waterways of Norfolk to urban and industrial scenes, as well as views of Venice and the Seine. Seago often worked from boats adapted as studios, enabling him to travel and paint along the waterways of Europe, particularly between France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He was elected to the RBA in 1946, ARWS in 1957 and RWS in 1959, and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon, alongside solo exhibitions in London, New York, Tokyo and Brussels. His work was widely collected during his lifetime, including by members of the Royal Family.