80 years after it was looted during World War II, Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man will return — in the minds and hearts of art lovers throughout the world, who will take part in an international painting competition. Poland’s National Museum in Kraków, the legal owner of the lost masterpiece, invites students and artists to recreate it as a self-portrait through Glaze, an innovative digital oil painting software.
Selfie or self-portrait: Raphael in the 21st century
In an era when 93 million selfies are taken daily, the organizers propose an alternative – an artistic return to the 16th-century portrait tradition: If Raphael Santi lived today and had a smartphone, would he take selfies? Or would he stick to the thoughtful process of painting, capturing the world in his own deliberate way? – they ask, referencing the hypothesis that the painting might be the artist’s self-portrait.
The project’s essence lies in this creative exchange between participant and masterpiece. Anyone – child or adult – can create a portrait that draws inspiration from Raphael while expressing their own artistic identity.
Painterly genius in your tablet
Participants gain access to an exceptional digital painting tool. Glaze becomes a bridge between Renaissance masters’ techniques and modern times. The app faithfully recreates the painting processes of Raphael or da Vinci, allowing users to explore sfumato and glazing techniques that would normally require months of practice. – Our app gives every tablet user the tools to master painting techniques based on Renaissance tradition – says Robert Latoś, painter and Glaze co-creator. – Users receive a sketch that faithfully follows the composition of Raphael’s original portrait. Then they can create their own self-portrait by choosing oil paint colors and developing it according to their personal vision – Latoś adds that all artistic styles are permitted.
Your work among world masterpieces
These personal interpretations – created using Glaze, either digitally at home or at the dedicated station in the Princes Czartoryski Museum – may become part of this extraordinary artistic endeavor. To participate, download Glaze, create your Raphael-inspired self-portrait, and submit by October 20, 2025. The Museum’s Glaze station will be available during opening hours for visitors who wish to create on-site.
– Digitalization is transforming museums worldwide – including our own, with virtual tours and digital collections -– Tomasz Ostrowski, deputy director for strategy and communication, National Museum in Krakow. – Our partnership with Glaze introduces a new way to experience art, where history merges with innovation. Through digital tools, contemporary artists explore Renaissance painting techniques. We particularly encourage young creators to participate – this unique project will ignite their imagination.
A distinguished international jury of art and technology experts will evaluate submissions. Four winners (in age categories 7-10, 11-13, 14-18, 19+) will be published in Apollo, the world’s oldest and most prestigious art magazine and awarded with the Apple iPads. Additionally, 100 best works will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Princes Czartoryski Museum – a treasure of Polish heritage, which houses Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine and the original location where Raphael’s portrait once hung.
How to paint a portrait using the Glaze technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yhsOKwwKjU
Learn more: wellofart.com/competition
Tutorials: https://www.glaze.art/tutorials
Photos: https://we.tl/t-EHwTMVjvm7
