A portrait of a young man, once thought to be a self-portrait of Raphael

An engraving reproducing in reverse a painting by Raphael formerly at Cracow and stolen in 1945. After the original when in Van Dyck's possession. This print is lettered along the bottom: "RAPHAEL DE VRBIN / Vrbinum Vrbs aluit pinxit sua dextera, nempe ... // … Eximia eximios pingier arte decet. // Pontius excudit, semel vt qui pinxit in Vrbe / Se, excusus toto, pictus et orbe foret."; at the lower left corner: "Paulus Pontius fecit et excudit"; at the lower right corner: "Cum Priuilegijs". Trimmed within the platemark.

The print formed part of an album of portrait prints assembled by Cassiano dal Pozzo in Rome. Described in an early nineteenth-century inventory of prints in George III's library as Illustrious Painters &c:a, the album was dismantled later in the nineteenth century and its contents sold during the early twentieth century, when only a few of Cassiano's foreign non-royal portrait prints were retained for the collection (see Bibliographic References).

This is the earliest print reproducing the painting; the legend below image records that the painting was believed to be Raphael's self-portrait. According to Ruland (1876), the picture was in the possession of Van Dyck when this print was made. See also RCIN 852038 for the same print.

Passavant believed the portrait formerly at Cracow to depict Raphael, but various sitters have been suggested (see Bibliographic References). This painting was probably executed during the first two decades of the 16th century. Its provenance can be tracked back to Giulio Romano (who was in possession of the painting probably shortly after the death of Raphael). In 1801, the painting was bought by Prince Czartoryski and it is documented in Poland until the Second World War, when it was probably stolen. For a photograph of the painting, see RCIN 850028.