in an interview with mervyn levy, lowry explained his fascination with the rossetti women in relation to his own work: "i don't like his women at all, but they fascinate me, like a snake. that's why i always buy rossetti whenever i can. his women are really rather horrible. it's like a friend of mine who says he hates my work, although it fascinates him." the friend lowry referred to was businessman monty bloom, to whom he also explained his obsession with rossetti's portraits: "they are not real women.[...] they are dreams.[...] he used them for something in his mind caused by the death of his wife. i may be quite wrong there, but significantly they all came after the death of his wife."