[TurkC-L] x0x The Story of Miniature Art in the Ottoman Empire
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x0x The Story of Miniature Art in the Ottoman Empire
* Long before the establishment of 'palace ateliers' in the West, we
see a strong 'master-apprentice' relationship in the Ottoman
Empire, which was part of the 'ehl-i hiref' (competent trade)
system and played an important role in the development of
miniature painting
* The Turkish school of miniatures featured an unadorned style and
themes from ordinary life. The latter included festivities,
holidays, feasts, flower handlers, fishermen, circumcision
ceremonies, sultans smelling roses, concubines reclining on
ottomans, people playing the lute and victory celebrations
* The style in the miniature art of the 15th and 16th centuries was
realist. Until the middle of the 17th century, the lives of the
sultans were illustrated carefully with paintings and were, in
this way, documented
BERKE INEL
TDN Guest Writer
Istanbul - Turkish Daily News
On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the establishment of the
Ottoman Empire, Ottoman history has been researched in national and
international symposia in Turkey and abroad, and examined and
discussed with all its institutes and institutions and in its
political, sociocultural and cultural dimensions. As a Turkish painter
and someone who has been conducting research on Western painting for a
long time, I believe that the concept of art in the Ottoman Empire and
in Turkish art under the influence of the West are crucial. The
following essay will be about the development of miniature art in the
Ottoman Empire, its political function and artistic value.
Turkish style miniatures
We are better able to appreciate the importance of art in the Ottoman
Empire when we look at the social, political and psychological
infrastructure. Just as with other states, the development or decline
of the arts in the Ottoman Empire was linked to political and social
transformations.
The Ottoman Empire was a great state which
accommodated the culture and art of a number of civilizations and
allowed religious and ethnic groups to live together. As we know, the
beginning of the Ottoman Empire dates to the principality established
by Osman Gazi in Iznik's town of Sogut in 1299. Following the
conquests of Bursa in 1326, Iznik in 1331, Edirne in 1361 and the
conquests in Rumelia, the capture of Istanbul in 1453 crowned the
period of territorial expansion. In the meantime, the historical
texture and glory of Istanbul meant that it would be a focal point for
art activities. While artists received the protection of feudal lords
and wealthy personages in the West, they worked under the auspices of
the state in the Ottoman Empire. Long before the establishment of
"palace ateliers" in the West, we see a strong "master-apprentice"
relationship in the Ottoman Empire which was part of the "ehl-i hiref"
(competent trade) system and played an important role in the
development of painting and miniature.
Miniatures, which have an important place in Ottoman art, are regarded
as the classics of Ottoman visual art. These were small
two-dimensional paintings designed to decorate books, medallions or
any small-size object and which can be seen in both European and
Islamic art.
The first miniatures precede the establishment of the Ottoman state in
1299 and even the conversion of Turks to Islam. We only encounter
Turkish miniatures as a sophisticated form of art, however, after the
15th century when the Ottoman Empire started to expand greatly. These
miniatures displayed different styles and were influenced by trends
from the Central Asian Turkic states and the Seljuks, the epoch of the
establishment of the Ottoman Empire and the reign of Fatih the
Conqueror, and the Tulip Period of the 18th century.
In time, Turkish miniature painting distinguished itself from its
Arabic, Persian and Indian counterparts and acquired a different
style. It developed unique characteristics which were unlike the
sketch-like aspect of Arabic miniatures and the highly stylized and
embellished Persian ones. As demonstrated in the works of masters such
as Nakkas Osman, Nigari, Matrakci, Hasan Pasa and Levni, this school
features an unadorned style and themes from ordinary life. The latter
include festivities, holidays, feasts, flower handlers, fishermen,
circumcision ceremonies, sultans smelling roses, concubines reclining
on ottomans, people playing the saz (a stringed instrument like the
lute) and victory celebrations. In terms of style, many-toned bright
colors such as red (that came to be called "Rouge Turc" in Europe),
orange and purple characterized the miniatures.
Sultans' lives in miniatures
As pointed out, the richest period of Turkish miniature painting
starts in the 15th century. The first Ottoman sultan to have a special
predilection and interest for painting was Mehmet the Conqueror, who
invited Gentile Bellini to the palace to have his portrait made. In
addition, Constanzo da Ferrara and Mostori Pavli's student Sinan Bey
worked on portraits. Sultan Beyazid II (r. 1481-1512), who ascended
the throne after Fatih, established a Nakkashane (miniature atelier)
in the palace. During the rule of Sultan Selim I (1512-1520), the
Ottomans turned their capital city into a center of culture and art by
relying on the power they built up after their victory over the
Safavids and Mameluke Empire.
The middle of the 16th century was a time when the world started to
talk about an Ottoman style of art. Nigari (1493-1572) for instance,
who was an admiral in the Ottoman navy, was also a miniature artist
who made miniatures of Barbaros Hayrettin and Selim II. As
foreshadowed by Nigari and others, the tradition of artists from
military backgrounds in Turkish art was beginning.
The reign of Sultan Suleyman the Lawgiver in the 16th century heralded
a glorious period for the arts. The value accorded art by previous
rulers had now reached its pinnacle and the increase of the state
treasury was reflected in the arts. These cultural treasures, which
are a point of national pride and which are currently on display in
the United States, demonstrate the glory of this period and the
heights attained by art.
Nasuh Al-Silahi, known as "Matraki," is recognized as a great artist
of this period. He was a historian, writer, calligrapher,
mathematician and inventor of a game called "matrak," and is
recognized as both a scientist and an artist. His best known work is
called Beyan-i Menazil-i Sefer-i Irakeyn, where Sultan Suleyman's Iraq
and Iran expeditions are illustrated in miniatures. In addition,
Matraki has created a "Suleymanname," which narrates the life of the
sultan.
Three "sahnames," books chronicling and praising the lives of rulers,
illustrated by Nakkas Hasan are among the most important works in
miniature painting. Arifi's "Suleymanname" contains paintings of
Balkan cities. The last sahname was illustrated by Nakkas Osman during
the reign of Murad III (1574-1581). The work called "Hunername" (Book
of Exploits) describes the daily lives of the sultans in miniatures.
The style in miniature art of the 15th and 16th centuries is realist.
Until the middle of the 17th century, the lives of the sultans were
illustrated carefully with paintings and were, in this way,
documented. In addition, the conquests of the Prophet Muhammad,
biographies of scientists, and nature and geography texts were
embellished with miniature paintings, thus preserving aesthetic
standards.
During this period, miniatures became so widespread that everyone from
statesmen such as Nakkas Hasan Pasa through to Ahmet Naksi, alias
Muvakkati, the man who determined the time for the call to prayer at
Suleymaniye Mosque, and indeed every person who had an artistic
calling got interested in miniature art.
During the reign of Ahmed III (1703-1730), known as the Tulip Period
of the Ottoman Empire, we see another very important artist. This is
Abdulcelil Celebi, alias Levni. "Silsilename," which is one of his
first works, includes the portraits of the first 20 Ottoman sultans.
The innovations in this work are the curtain motif in the background
and elements associated with painting such as background and
light-shadow duality. Levni also adopted a realist style.
"Surname-i Vehbi," prepared by Sumbulzade Vehbi, is also among the
important works of this period.
Individuals like Levni and Abdullah Buhari are the last
representatives of miniature art. Under the influence of the West,
Levni developed an interest in painting on canvas, while some female
figures by Buhari also suggest an affinity with Western painting.
After this period, we see a gradual opening to the West and the
establishment of links with Western painters.
Throughout the 18th century, foreign painters made many engravings and
paintings of Istanbul's landscapes. For painters such as Mercati,
Luigi Mayer and Castellan, Istanbul was an invaluable treasure.
Castellan made murals depicting human figures in 1797.
Interest in portrait art grew during this period. For instance, during
the second half of the 18th century, Refail, an Ottoman Armenian with
close ties to the palace, made accomplished portraits of Osman III and
Mustafa III.
At the beginning of the 19th century we see Mahmud II (r. 1808-1839),
a sultan who was open to innovations in every area from military
training to the arts. He invited the famous composer Donizetti's
brother to serve as conductor of the military band. Mahmud II opened
the Imperial Music School and his library included names such as
Voltaire, Moliere and Racine. The Western influence in painting
increased during this period.
Yet this influence did not overshadow miniature art as the interest in
miniature portraits was still high. Even statesmen's medals, called
"Tasvir-i Humayun," featured their miniature portraits.
The book "Sultan'in Sehri" (Sultan's City) narrates that the houses of
the wealthy residents of Istanbul, had a cloth pending from the
ceiling which was embellished with miniature paintings. In the Esma
Sultan Yali in Ortakoy, there was a miniature portrait of the sultan
in a diamond-studded frame.
During the reign of Sultan Abdulmecid (1839-1861), when Westernization
took a final hold in the empire, baroque and rococo decorations were
more widely used, as in Dolmabahce Palace. Two important painters of
the time, Ferik Ibrahim Pasa and Ferik Tevfik Pasa, studied abroad and
made paintings on canvas. In 1874, classes at the Imperial School of
Architecture began to include perspective painting technique.
In the middle of 19th century, the time of miniature art was almost
over, and modern painting came to fill its place. During this period,
the first examples of oil painting were seen in the Ottoman Empire and
the foundations for modern Turkish painting were laid down.
* Associate Professor and painter Berke Inel is faculty member at
Yildiz Technical University. The above text is a summary of the speech
she gave at a recent World Bank Conference on the occasion of the
700th anniversary of the establishment of the Ottoman Empire.
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