Heinrich von Zügel had left behind a vast oeuvre of paintings and drawings that is largely dominated by depictions of animals and landscapes. As animal painter he stands in the tradition of Otto Gebler and Anton Braith, however, he increasingly attained his own unmistakable style. His animal pictures were initially characterized by a Wilhelminian style, but he soon found a more impressionist and easy manner, in which he put particular focus on light and its impact on the colors. Sheep and cattle were the main subjects of Zügel's paintings throughout his life, surely a reminiscence of his childhood as son of a shepherd.