A young boy in elaborate riding attire sits astride a dark horse, which rears up in a controlled levade at the center of a sandy riding arena. He wears a wide-brimmed hat with a white plume and a red sash slung across his chest, his gaze directed forward with a composed expression. The horse’s mane and tail are rendered with energetic, textured brushstrokes, while the animal’s tack gleams with touches of white paint, emphasizing the discipline of the haute école dressage.

In the middle ground, three men dressed in dark courtly clothing stand together; one extends a lance to another, who turns slightly toward the boy on horseback. Behind them rises the ochre facade of a grand building, its steep roof and turret silhouetted against a sky filled with soft clouds and pale blue light. On a balcony above, several figures look on, including two who stand together in the center, their presence framed by the open window and the architectural balustrade.

Touches of red in the sash, the distant figure’s dress, and the warm tones of the building unify the color scheme, while the textured brushwork gives the scene a sense of immediacy and movement. A man dressed in red stands at the far left edge, partly obscured by the horse’s raised body and shadow. The lower right corner features a section of the arena’s wooden fence, painted with loose, brown strokes.

Sunlight falls from the upper left, casting strong shadows beneath the horse and highlighting the boy’s face and plume. The ochre building’s windows reflect the sky’s pale blue and white, while some panes appear dark or shadowed. The sky occupies the upper third of the painting, filled with swirling, textured clouds in white, gray, and hints of blue.

Vertical balusters line the background terrace, their rounded tops catching glints of light and creating a rhythmic pattern. The paint handling varies from the thick, impasto strokes on the horse’s mane to finer, linear details in the architectural ornamentation and figures’ clothing. Prince Baltasar Carlos in the Riding School is painted by Diego Velázquez in 1636, as stated in the catalogue and supporting sources.