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Gra Rueb's bronze deer, which has stood at the edge of the park at the corner of Willem Lodewijklaan and Verlengde Tolweg since 1958, is reminiscent of a real deer. Just like real deer at dusk, this faithfully reproduced bronze specimen explores the edge of the domain where it hides during the day. Rueb's deer, however, does not become skittish as soon as it is spotted by passers-by and does not rush off into the dark woods where it might feel safe. Under all circumstances, the bronze deer stands firmly at the edge of the park. Its gaze is alert, but it does not seem to see any reason to flee.

The Breda-born sculptor Gra Rueb, who became particularly well known in The Hague, has often been characterised as a craftsman-like sculptor who made a subtle contribution to the artistic decoration of public spaces. Rueb was an animal sculptor par excellence. She was influenced by well-known sculptors such as Toon Dupuis, Joseph Mendes da Costa, Antoine Bourdelle and Johan Coenraad Altorf, while the emotive visual language of John Raedecker also comes through in her smaller, plastic wooden sculptures of deer and horses. The use of traditional materials and the predilection for indigenous (domestic) animals and for traditional sculpture are characteristic.

Apart from applied art such as historical medals and ornaments and reliefs for public buildings and bridges, Rueb mainly made free-standing animal sculptures. For the depiction of the deer at the Willem Lodewijklaan, she is indebted to François Pompon, whose deer from 1929 was purchased by the municipality of Arnhem after the Sonsbeek 52 exhibition. While Pompon's deer radiates mysterious power, Rueb's version is a textbook example of mimesis, that is, a thorough imitation of nature.