Wynfield was born in India and was the great-nephew of the early 19th century painter David Wilkie. Wynfield was intended for the priesthood, but became a painter.

This painting was previously catalogued as 'Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn'. Wynfield is said to have been careful about historical accuracy, such as terms of dress, for his history pictures, as he was in two definite Anne Boleyn depictions. This picture does not fit English court dress of Boleyn's time. In 1865, Wynfield showed a painting called 'La Jeunesse Dorée' at the British Institution, which was mentioned in the 'Art Journal' of that year as 'a composition of colour evidently managed on the sumptuously decorative principle of Paul Veronese.' That suggests it was set in Veronese's time, the 16th century, which would fit this Rotherham picture.