Who painted A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram?

A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram was painted by Adriaen Collaert in 1597.

Where can I see A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram?

A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram?

A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram

Adriaen Collaert , 1597

A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Adriaen Collaert. It dates from 1597 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The composition balances the close‑up animal group with a distant landscape that includes fields, a winding road, and figures at work.

Adriaen Collaert’s print, titled *A Goat, a Ewe, and a Ram*, dates from around 1597. Executed as an engraving on laid paper, the work presents three domestic animals positioned in a rural setting that opens onto a small settlement with a bridge, church spire, and a river. The composition balances the close‑up animal group with a distant landscape that includes fields, a winding road, and figures at work.

Subject & Meaning

The central focus is a goat, a ewe, and a ram, rendered with meticulous attention to their coats and posture, suggesting a study of pastoral life. Behind them, the vista of a modest town and agricultural activity hints at the interdependence of livestock and human labor in late‑sixteenth‑century countryside, emphasizing a harmonious, everyday scene rather than a symbolic narrative.

Technique & Style

Collaert employed fine, intersecting lines to model volume and create atmospheric depth, particularly in the distant mountains, trees, and water. The engraving’s tonal gradations arise from varying line density, a hallmark of the Northern European print tradition. The detailed rendering of fur and foliage demonstrates the artist’s skill in translating texture onto the smooth surface of laid paper.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1597, the print belongs to a period when Collaert was active in Antwerp, collaborating with publishers who specialized in animal and genre subjects. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work has circulated in collections of early modern prints, appearing in catalogues of Flemish engraving and serving as a reference for later animal studies in printmaking.