Henry Cooke was a painter of decorative and history subjects who studied with the portrait artist, Theodore Russel. He spent time in Italy during the 1660s and 1670s, and after his return worked with Parry Walton to repair paintings in the Royal Collection. These included the Raphael cartoons and in 1697 Cooke was granted permission to make copies of the cartoons, one set of which was later owned by Hans Sloane. In c.1690 Cooke also completed the large mural painting of an equestrian portrait of Charles II surrounded by allegorical figures, in the Great Hall of the Chelsea Royal hospital, which had been begun by Antonio Verrio several years earlier.  

The goatherd is depicted in a rocky landscape with mountains in the distance. He wears a lilac coloured tunic and plays a long flute. A black and white dog lies at his feet, alongside a crook. The head of a goat is just visible to the right. This painting is a pair with A Shepherdess (RCIN 402977). Both were previously attributed to John Collins, an artist working some time later than Henry Cooke.