An extensive landscape with houses seen from the Porta Pia, Rome

This view of the Roman campagna beyond the city walls would appear to date to the summer of 1778, a period Jones vividly describes in his marvellously evocative memoirs: 'June 1st [1778] - Ten Cardinals were elected - During the last as well as the present and succeeding Months, I made many very agreeable excursions to a Villa near S'o Agnese without the Porta Pia - This Villa was situated upon a gentle Ascent which commanded a view of the City of Rome on One hand, and the Campagna with the Appenine Mountains on the Other - it belonged to Sig're Martinelli, a Roman, of good family, but rather reduced in Circumstances - He had originally a large Extent of Vineyards about it, but had been obliged to dispose of the greatest part to Barrazzi the Banker, who had built himself a handsome Country house in the Neighbourhood - With this Sig're Martinelli, little Couzins the Landscape Painter lodged in Rome and as he was not well in health, when the Weather was favourable, resided at this Villa for the benefit of the Air, and riding on a jackAss which he had purchased for that purpose - Here I made some Studies in Oil of the surrounding Scenery and was accommodated with a nice Poney whenever I pleased to take an Airing with little Cousins and his jackAss' (A.P. Oppé (ed.), 'Memoirs of Thomas Jones', Walpole Society, XXXII, 1946-48, p. 73).

Sir Francis Watson, K.C.V.O., F.B.A., F.S.A., (1907-1992) was Director of the Wallace Collection from 1963 until 1974 during which time he established his great reputation as a leading authority on the arts of France and Italy in the 18th century. His 1956 Catalogue of Furniture in the Wallace Collection received international acclaim and broke new ground in the field of serious catalogues of objects other than painting and sculpture. Between 1966 and 1970 he wrote the meticulous catalogue of the Wrightsman Collection in the Metropolitan. He also wrote books on Canaletto, Tiepolo and Fragonard. He was Surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Art, Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford (1969-70), Wrightsman Professor at New York University (1970-71), Kress Professor at the National Gallery in Washington (1975-76), and was awarded the Gold Medal of New York University in 1966.