View of Castel Gandolfo, c. 1870s. In his watercolours, Foster depicted an idealized life in rural England. His work was appreciated as Pre- Raphaelite in its intricate detail, but was without the harsh colour and unorthodox subjects that made the Brotherhood controversial. Foster?s watercolours proved enormously appealing to the Victorians. Each new work was eagerly anticipated, and colour lithographs after his watercolours helped popularize his imagery. While the English countryside was the inspiration for much of his work, he traveled abroad regularly, and in the 1870s, he made several trips to Italy. A view of peasants picnicking at the gates of Castel Gandolfo overlooking Lake Albano is the subject of this watercolour.