As a director of the French Academy in Rome, Natoire encouraged many of his pupils to visit the sites around Rome and develop their skills as landscape painters. He was proud of this initiative and did not fail to mention it in his correspondance with the Marquis de Marigny, then Directeur-général des bâtiments. The journey to Valmontone was mentioned in a letter dated 25 May 1766 in which the artist wrote '...ma soeur et moy...nous sommes venu passer quelques jours à une campagne prés de Rome...que l'on nome Valmontone, sur la route de Naples passant par le mont Cassin... Les points de vues y sont fort agréable et très pittoresques, ce qui excite à en prendre des idées...' (My sister and I spent a few days in the countryside near Rome, a place named Valmontone, on the road to Naples which passes by the Monte Cassino. The sights are very pleasant and picturesque, and insprires ideas), Correspondance du Directeur, tome 12, p. 116.
Although Natoire's skill as a landscape draftsman was soon forgotten after his death; the artist enjoyed in his lifetime a reputation for this genre of which Marigny was particularly appreciative. Writing to Natoire in 1759 he eulogised that landscape drawings such as this one: 'Les productions de vos amusements feraient honneur à l'application la plus constante et la plus recherchée des autres artistes' (These works done for your amusement would bring honor to other artists most constant and industrious application), op. cit., tome 10, p. 282.
A slightly larger landscape of Valmontone by Natoire, inscribed 'Valmontone-magio 1766, C.N.', was sold in these Rooms, 12 January 1988, lot 111, illustrated