The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced on Tuesday that it has received a gift of an exceptional oil painting by celebrated Italian artist Francesco Salviati (1510–1563). Executed on a one-inch thick marble slab, the arresting portrait depicts Bindo Altoviti (1491–1557), a powerful Florentine banker and one of the most significant political opponents to the Medici rulers. The monumental work is the first painting on marble acquired by The Met.

It is a gift from the trust of Assadour “Aso” O. Tavitian, co-founder of Syncsort, a pioneering software company, and philanthropist.“The artistic importance and historic magnitude of this painting cannot be overstated,” said Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met.