Bust of Willibald Imhoff

In the portrait bust of Willibald Imhoff, a wealthy Nuremberg patrician, Van der Schardt created a highly naturalistic likeness, including such details as wrinkles, warts, and liver spots. The presentation, however, is distinctive. He does not stare outward, as in most portraits, but rather gazes intently at the ring in his left hand. As Imhoff quietly contemplates the work’s aesthetic merits, his mouth opens slightly as if about to speak.