Son of the domestic of the Marquis de Stainville, Hubert Robert learnt in the studio of the sculptor Michel-Ange Slodtz. Protected by Stainville, who will soon be the Duke de Choiseul, he stayed at the Académie de France in Rome from 1754 until 1765, where he was trained by Gian Paolo Panini. During these twelve years in Italy, Robert became close friend with Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and with the Abbot de Saint-Non. He followed the Abbot de Saint-Non in his famous trip to Naples in 1760. Back to France in 1765, he was immediatly introduced and became very famous for his ruins and landscapes painting. He worked for the most prestigious Parisians collectors of his time: Watelet, Mariette, Marigny et Breteuil... In 1766 our artist entered at the Academy and exhibited the following year to the Salon, where he was congratuled by Diderot. His success never stopped increasing, and thanks to his talents and his education, he was one of the most glamorous figure of the upper Parisian class. Although the Empress Catherine II invited him many times to work in Russia, Hubert Robert prefered to follow his career in Paris.

Our drawing is typical from his Romain period (1754-1765), when our young artist was working in the studio of Panini, revealing his taste for antique capriccio. In Rome, the close juxtaposition of the every-day life of the city and the brooding monumentality of the ruins left a deep impression on him. He delighted in creating contrasts within pictures, showing the grandeur of antique monuments nearby by shepherds and flocks. In this marvellous watercolour, Robert depicts a magical and poetic atmosphere using light touches of fresh green and blue tones.