Is this street sloping up or downhill? Harold Riley wrote “I played with pictures of streets. I can’t tell if it’s going up or down, Some think it’s going down to the sea, or rising up to the hills. I like to play this trick. I find it interesting.”  

Like his friend, associate and local Salford artist L. S. Lowry, Riley’s pictures most often feature observations of life. But every so often, they paint an empty space, devoid of people. There’s something of this picture that reminds me of the Lowry seascapes and empty landscapes. There are trails of lives here, but for the moment, this street is enjoying a moment of quiet.

The exhibition Every Line is Me: a celebration of Howard Riley is open at Salford Museum and Art Gallery is open until April 2025.