Hubert Robert was one of the pre-eminent French landscape painters of the 18th century, training for over a decade in Rome before establishing himself at the center of the Parisian art world upon his return to the city in 1765. He exhibited regularly at the Salons until 1797 and completed countless commissions for the nobility, aristocracy and foreign dignitaries throughout his career. He was renowned for his imaginary landscapes featuring ancient ruins and beautiful gardens, often incorporating both known and fantastical architectural elements in his compositions.
The horizontal format of this painting indicates that it was likely once part of an interior decoration scheme, perhaps an overdoor picture. Robert's images of the Italian countryside, such as the present example, provided his patrons with small snapshots of daily life. Robert's pictures such as this can be seen as an intersection between past and present: he would subtly include ruins or in this case an old well in the otherwise contemporary scene.
An easel-sized painting at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, signed and dated 1761, includes a washerwoman whose pose is similar to the figure in the present painting.1
1. See https://www.clarkart.edu/artpiece/detail/laundress-and-child