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This painting is full of unanswered questions. Who painted it, why, and who does it show? We think that the boy in red is Sir Charles Kemeys, of Cefn Mably, now on the Eastern edge of Cardiff. His initials appear on the saddlecloth of the horse led by the huntsman in the background. His companion in brown may be William Morgan, of nearby Tredegar. They seem to be about eleven years old.

The picture has also changed shape over the centuries. Strips of canvas at the top and sides were once folded back to make it smaller. The paint on these strips is darker because the colours are less faded. Now the painting is seen its original size with a strip of canvas added at the bottom, below the boys’ feet.

Comments from year 8 students from Duffryn High School, Newport, 2008:

The two boys are much bigger than the servant in the background because the boys are much more important I think. The servant looks like he was a little bit bored because he had to hold the horse. The boy in red looks more important than the boy in brown. He is pointing to the horse he must have owned, and his clothes are more decorated than the other one. The clothes they wear look tight on them both and the shoes they are wearing have high heels on them. They look very restricted. (Joshua, 13)

The boy in red looks like he is showing off. The boy in brown looks like he is not impressed or maybe even amused. Maybe they would both rather be at home playing around. The boy in red looks very pale. The boy in brown looks hot and thirsty. He looks like he has everything he needs but nothing he wants. The boys look related but maybe there is a bit of competition between the two. (Jacob, 13)