The Friends of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum and Museum Ludwig, in collaboration with the editorial team of the Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch, are announcing the inaugural Frank Zurlino Publication Prize for young art historians.
The editors are inviting submissions from art historians under the age of 35 for unpublished research papers on topics related to the yearbook’s focus. The winning paper will be recognized for its originality and scholarly rigor, and will be published in the Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch of 2026.
A memorial prize for the future
The Frank Zurlino Publication Prize consists of a cash award of €3,000 in addition to the publication of the winning paper in the Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch, Volume 87 (2026). The winner will also be invited to give a public talk on the award-winning topic in the lecture series Kunstbewusst organized by the Friends of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (the freunde).
The annual award is presented in memory of Frank Zurlino, the former chairman of the freunde, who passed away far too early in 2023. Donated by the Zurlino family, the prize is intended to promote young scholars whose work reflect Frank Zurlino’s qualities as a member of the freunde: his creative thinking, his enthusiasm for innovative approaches, his unconditional commitment to continuous learning and personal development, and his passion for supporting young careers.
The Frank Zurlino Publication Prize is intended not only as a dedication to the memory of a successful chairman of the board, but also as a call to the younger generation to shape the future with confidence.
Yearbook
Founded in 1924, the Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch is a prestigious German art journal published on behalf of the Friends of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum and Museum Ludwig. It serves as an international forum for scholarly discussion, featuring peer-reviewed contributions from leading researchers on art history, technology, and provenance from antiquity to the present. Digital versions of all volumes are available on JSTOR two years after their print publication.
Conditions
The winning article must be a previously unpublished research paper on topics covered in the Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch. From an art-historical perspective, the yearbook is dedicated to international fine arts, architecture, design, restoration and art technology, collection history and provenance research from antiquity to the present day. A reference to the works of Cologne’s museums is not mandatory.
Contributions, in English or German, must be submitted by 31 March 2026. See the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum’s website for more details and conditions.