Group of people with the Artist

In this typical 1960s composition, Lowry gives us an undefined setting, displaced figures congregating expectantly and, most importantly, himself. His frequent perambulations around the city and endless appetite for people-watching identifies him as an incessant observer of urban life. By placing himself in his work he maintains control and becomes the dominant yet invisible force; the watcher and the watched (see M. Howard, Lowry A Visionary Artist, Salford, 2000, p. 248).