A pair of polished gentlemen

Print shows the two heads of Sir Skeffington and Montagu James Mathew emerging from the highly-polished boots of their respective owners. Skeffington's boot (left) is a tasselled Hessian; its pointed toe rests on the foot of Mathew's spurred top-boot. Both wear round hats of slightly differing shapes. Skeffington's dark hair is short, falling over his forehead; he has a large whisker. Mathew's fair hair is long and powdered, and tied by a ribbon at the tips; he has a small whisker. Round the two boots are grouped blacking materials. A large open book is 'Essay on Blacking'; by it are bottles labelled 'Mr Broomhills Recipe' and 'The Princes Recipe', and a mixing-pot. Two volumes at right are 'Chemistry'; on them are bottles labelled 'Pine Apple' and 'Spirit of Salt'. There are also two brushes, a polishing pad, a cake of 'Holdsworth's' blacking, and a broken bottle of 'Royal Blacking'.