Lynn Chadwick originally began his career as a draughtsman before shifting his focus to sculpture, this initial career path gave him an opportunity to learn about composition as he had no formal artistic training. His major breakthrough came in 1956 when he was awarded the International Sculpture Prize at the Venice Biennale.

This sculpture, Sitting Couple, 1989, was created during a period of Chadwick’s career when he was predominantly focused on figurative sculpture. He created numerous versions of these figures sitting, standing and reclining, often with capes draped around their shoulders. The forms he created in the 1970s and 80s are much less abstract than the pieces he produced in the 1950s and 60s, such as his monumental sculpture The Watchers, 1960, which consists of three armless forms, all with three legs. Though Chadwick’s sitting figures are recognisable as male and female from their forms, they have the iconic square and triangular heads which give the viewer a definitive answer, Dennis Farr explains this as a ‘new formal symbol for the female and male head, his female figures now had diamond of triangular-shaped heads, his males square of rectangular heads’.

In 1988, Chadwick was again asked to exhibit at the Venice Biennale, creating a large sculpture entitled Back To Venice which is very similar in style to Sitting Couple. Perhaps Chadwick's fascination and proclivity for sculpting couples was due to the turmoil happening within his own relationships. By 1965, he had divorced his first wife Ann Secord, second wife Frances Jamieson and married his third wife Eva Chadwick, who would go on to play a huge role in his artistic career.