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In October 1908, the Swiss National Bank commissioned Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918) to design two new banknotes. Under the overarching theme of "Work in Switzerland", he was asked to create designs for agricultural motifs in the form of a "mower" and a "lumberjack". A patriotic man, Hodler accepted the commission and produced numerous designs symbolising the reclamation of the Swiss countryside in the plains and mountains. However, the client's unclear ideas and Hodler's lack of familiarity with the requirements of a state institution led him to distance himself from the final product.

The fact that he was nevertheless fascinated by the motif of the woodcutter in particular is demonstrated by a number of slightly different versions and the present painting. The strict composition, with two lateral verticals, the horizontal ground and the dominant diagonal in the figure of the woodcutter, is reinforced by the stylisation of the image. The painter emphasises the woodcutter's powerful stride with dynamic outlines. Hodler rigorously avoided all decorative accessories and opted for an emphatically flat colour scheme in order to achieve maximum expressiveness.