In 1874 Artur Heygate Mackmurdo ‘travelled to Italy with Ruskin’, some writers have interpreted this as him being guided by Ruskin’s writings but it is more likely he was an assistant to Ruskin during an extended trip to the area. Mackmurdo stayed in Italy for two winters and a summer between, most likely from 1874 to 1876. It may have been during this time that he ventured across to Switzerland to sketch the Lucerne woodbarn depicted here.
On Ruskin’s research trips his assistants would have been assigned particular buildings or artworks to record for Ruskin’s publications and lectures. Mackmurdo would have therefore been instructed in illustrated buildings and likely utilised those skills to execute this study.
