This is a half-length portrait of William Hart, a merchant, preacher and benefactor to the Company of Merchant Adventurers. The figure is depicted wearing an expensive black robe, fashionable white ruff and black skull cap. He is holding a book in his left hand and wears a gold ring on his third finger.

In the panel beneath the figure reads the inscription: 'William Hart sometimes pastor of the English Church at Embden, and afterwards at Stode beyond the seas did give 600 pounds to the companie of Merchants Adventurers to be lent to twelfe young men exercising the same trade for two yeares, and then to other twelfe successivelie for ever – and also 300 to ye poore'.