The Pond’ is an  industrial landscape containing many features typical of Lowry’s work; smoking chimneys, terraced houses and on the right, in the middle distance, the Stockport Viaduct. The scene includes many of his so called ‘matchstick’ people who swarm like ants through the city’s streets and open spaces. ‘This is a composite picture built up from a blank canvas.  Lowry once said “I hadn’t the slightest idea of what I was going to put in the canvas when I started the picture but it eventually came out as you see it. This is the way I like working best.”  Lowry considered this to be his finest industrial landscape.