Monumental depictions of animals, often in rural settings, had been introduced into the Dutch art market by such artists as Paulus Potter (1625/26–1654) and Jan Baptist Weenix (1621–1659/61). Derived from the established tradition of monumental hunting scenes, like those created by the Flemish artist Frans Snyders (1579–1657), they adopted a more bucolic, domestic tone. Weenix was the source for this remarkable depiction by Doomer of a braying male goat and a ram. It compares to Weenix’s monumental A Ram Lying on the Ground in the Rijksmuseum, and sets a similarly unaffected tone. The animals’ thrusting, slightly belligerent poses seem to suggest the character of their species. Doomer depicted a ram in an equally dynamic and even more distinctive position in a large canvas in The Bader Collection, probably executed during the 1660s. For the braying goat in the present work, Doomer made use of a pen and ink study not in Vienna. The frequent appearance of these animals in the artist’s paintings and drawings attests to his special interest in them.