“The Turtle Trainer”, one of Osman Hamdi Bey’s masterpieces, has an important place not only in Turkey but also in the world art history. This painting, which was made in two different versions in 1906 and 1907, is full of deep symbols and meanings that attract the attention of art lovers. We invite you to this unique journey to discover the story behind this fascinating work of Osman Hamdi Bey and the secrets it contains, and to understand the artist’s perspective on the social and cultural issues of the period.
The old man we see in red clothes in the picture is actually the painter himself. Osman Hamdi Bey used himself as a figure not only in this painting but in many of his works. To do this, the painter would first take a photo of himself from the desired angle and then create his paintings by looking at this photo. This is kind of self-portrait or selfie can be evaluated as!
Who is the Turtle Trainer?
Osman Hamdi Bey illustrated by “Turtle Trainer”has achieved great success in the field of art. Osman Hamdi Bey, one of the important intellectuals and painters of the Ottoman period, was a versatile personality who played many leading roles in the field of culture and arts such as archaeology, museology and art education. This painting of the artist, who made significant contributions to the fields of Ottoman and Turkish culture, art, archeology and museology, appeared in two different versions in 1906 and 1907.
Osman Hamdi Bey is not only a painter, but also Turkey’s first archaeologist and the founder of museology. Director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum and was Turkey’s first fine arts school, today known as Founder of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University has happened. Osman Hamdi Bey, who was born in Istanbul in 1842 and died in the same city in 1910, traveled many places throughout his life and was surrounded by art.
Osman Hamdi Bey carried out excavations in important archaeological areas such as Mount Nemrut, Sayda (Lebanon) and Lagina (Muğla). He carried the important findings he discovered during these excavations to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which he built. The world-famous Alexander Sarcophagus, found during the excavations in Sayda, was among these artifacts. One of his first actions as the director of the museum was to ban historical artifacts from being taken abroad. In this way, many of the works we see in museums and ruins in Turkey were able to remain in our country, thanks to the efforts of Osman Hamdi Bey.
This work of the artist aroused curiosity as to whether such a profession really existed during the Ottoman Empire. However, as a result of the research, no traces of “turtle taming” were found. No evidence of the existence of such a profession has been obtained. The term “Turtle Trainer” appears to be a unique term for a work of art and does not refer to an actual profession.
In the painting, the person taming the turtles It is interpreted that he is trying to accomplish a difficult task that requires patience with his own methods. There are various assumptions about the famous painting. Some of them stood at the table and saw the turtles. He claims that the observer is the painter himself. In other interpretations, it has been claimed that it describes the tired state of an intellectual trying to modernize a backward society.
How was the Turtle Trainer Painting Named?
Osman Hamdi BeyIt is not known for certain whether he gave his name to the painting “The Turtle Trainer”. However, it was noted that the painting was given various names in different languages at the exhibition held in Paris in 1906. According to exhibition records, the painting is in French “L’homme aux Tortues” “Turtle Man” It was referred to as. In the English exhibition catalogs, it is called “Tortoises”. “Turtles” was included as.
The painting was published in the 17th issue of a newspaper published by the Ottoman Painters Society in 1918. “Turtles and Man” It is stated that it was published under the name Over time this name “Turtle Trainer” has changed and become widespread. For this reason, the prevailing view is that the name of the painting was not given by Osman Hamdi Bey, but began to be referred to as such over time.
Where was the Turtle Trainer Painting Made?
There is a common misconception about the location where The Turtle Trainer was painted. Osman Hamdi Bey wrote this famous work. He drew it in Bursa and completed it in his workshop.. This information, Dr. It has also been confirmed by Doğan Yavaş’s research. It is documented that Osman Hamdi Bey worked in Bursa for a long time and visited the Green Mosque five times. These scientific data support that Osman Hamdi Bey painted the Turtle Trainer painting in Bursa and then completed it in his workshop.
Osman Hamdi Bey depicted a historical place in this immortal painting he created three years before his death. This place is a room covered with blue tiles and with Arabic writings on the window. Osman Hamdi Bey’s love for using historical buildings in his paintings also manifested itself in this work. This room, decorated with tiles in the “Turtle Trainer” painting, is actually It is located on the upper floor of Bursa Green Mosque.
What is the Secret in the Turtle Trainer Painting?
This is Osman Hamdi Bey’s It is not known exactly what the purpose and inspiration for making the work was.. The painting has common elements such as turtles and a man bent at the waist. Some experts think that these elements are a reflection of Osman Hamdi Bey’s many years of serving in state affairs. In other words, comments are made that the artist compares himself to slow-moving turtles and portrays himself as an old man with a bent waist. These comments show that the artist’s personal and professional life is associated with the symbols in the painting.
Although it is difficult to know exactly the source of Osman Hamdi Bey’s inspiration, a detail about the painter’s life may give us a clue. Exactly 36 years before the painting was painted, young Osman Hamdi wrote in a letter to his father while he was in Baghdad, in an article he read in a magazine. From turtle trainers in Japan He explained what was mentioned. He wrote that Japanese trainers taught turtles to walk in single file and even stand on a table to the rhythm of a drum. The magazine also included a picture showing this interesting work. This information may be a source of inspiration for Osman Hamdi Bey’s painting “The Turtle Trainer”.
The Story of the Turtle Trainer Painting
Osman Hamdi Bey painted the painting “Turtle Trainer” in two different versions in 1906 and 1907. First, in the seventeenth issue of a newspaper published by the Ottoman Painters Society, the painting was called “Turtles and Man”, and later it was called “Turtle Trainer”.
A bearded man in the painting, He wears a long red robe tied around his waist with a tight belt. The room is covered with blue tiles and is in a very neglected state. The man stands half-turned to the viewer and has a haphazardly wrapped scarf on his head. In front of the man’s feet are turtles eating leaves on the ground. The plaster and tiles on the walls of the room have fallen off in places.
of the table the only source of light is the low window in front of the man. The man has his hands behind his back and is playing a flute. A nakkare hangs on his back and a plectrum attached to it hangs down from his neck. According to some, the thing on the man’s back is the keşkülüfukara, which was used by dervishes and beggars in the past.
What is the Meaning of the Turtle Trainer Painting?
The painting “Turtle Trainer” is a work of art created by Osman Hamdi Bey and has been subjected to many different interpretations. The painting can be interpreted as reflecting the difficult task of an intellectual trying to modernize a backward society. In this context, he portrays Osman Hamdi Bey as a tamer and his subordinates as turtles. While Osman Hamdi Bey struggles with bureaucratic obstacles and resistance to educate and modernize society, he satirizes his subordinates who do not adopt his methods.
According to another interpretation, the person standing thoughtfully on the painting Osman Hamdi Bey hopes to succeed in taming the turtles with musical instruments. In this interpretation, it is emphasized that the artist tries to educate and modernize society through art. The slowness of the turtles in the painting symbolizes the difficulties in educating the public and the process that requires patience.
There are also different theories about the inspiration for the painting. The inspiration for the first version was the turtles seen on the streets of Paris and Charles Baudelaire’s “Painter of Modern Life” It has been suggested that it was mentioned in the book. There is a theory that the second version was inspired by an engraving that Osman Hamdi Bey saw in “Tour du Monde”, a French magazine. This painting is a multi-layered work that is thought to reflect a deep thought about the social and cultural issues of Osman Hamdi Bey’s time.
Turtle Tamer Painting: Meaning and Interpretations
Osman Hamdi Bey’s famous work “Turtle Trainer” is a painting that the artist was inspired by during his visits to Bursa Green Mosque and completed in his own workshop. Various comments have been made about the meaning of the table. One comment, Osman Hamdi Bey depicted himself as a dervish and criticized his colleagues as turtles for their slowness in the direction. In this context, the artist shows that he is trying to educate his friends.
In another comment, It is thought that Osman Hamdi Bey depicted himself as a dervish and a turtle tamer, but the turtles represented the people. According to this interpretation, the artist tries to educate the public through art. This interpretation reflects a perspective in which the use of art as a social tool can be emphasized.
Both interpretations reflect the depth and multi-layered meanings of the “Turtle Trainer” painting. This work is considered a masterpiece that demonstrates Osman Hamdi Bey’s artistic talent and intellectual depth.
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