Osman Hamdi Bey (30 December 1842, in Istanbul 24 February 1910) was an Ottoman administrator, intellectual, art expert and also a prominent and pioneering painter. He was also an accomplished

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

, and is regarded as the pioneer of the

museum curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

's profession in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. He was the founder of

Istanbul Archaeology Museums The Istanbul Archaeology Museums ( tr, ) are a group of three archaeological museums located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums: #Arch ...

and of the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts ( Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi in

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

), known today as the

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University The Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University ( tr, Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi, or MSGSÜ) is a Turkish public university dedicated to higher education in the fine arts. It is located in the Fındıklı neighbourhood of Beyoğlu, Istanbu ...

. He was also the first mayor of

Kadıköy Kadıköy (), known in classical antiquity and during the Roman and Byzantine eras as Chalcedon ( gr, Χαλκηδών), is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district in the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, on the northern shore of the Sea of ...

Early life

Osman Hamdi was the son of

Ibrahim Edhem Pasha Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1819–1893) was an Ottoman statesman, who held the office of Grand Vizier in the beginning of Abdul Hamid II's reign between 5 February 1877 and 11 January 1878. He resigned from that post after the Ottoman chances on winn ...

, an Ottoman

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

(in office 1877–1878, replacing

Midhat Pasha Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha ( ota , احمد شفيق مدحت پاشا, 18 October 1822 – 26 April 1883) was an Ottoman democrat, kingmaker and one of the leading statesmen during the late Tanzimat period. He is most famous for leading the O ...

) who was originally a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

boy from the Ottoman island of

Sakız Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greece, Greek list of islands of Greece, island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is ...

(

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

) orphaned at a very young age following the

Chios massacre The Chios massacre (in el, Η σφαγή της Χίου, ) was a catastrophe that resulted to the death, enslavement, and refuging of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops, during the G ...

there. He was adopted by Kaptan-ı Derya (Grand Admiral) Hüsrev Pasha and eventually rose to the ranks of the ruling class of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

Osman Hamdi went to primary school in the popular

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

quarter of

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...

; after which he studied Law, first in Istanbul (1856) and then in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(1860). However, he decided to pursue his interest in painting instead, left the Law program, and trained under

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

orientalist painters

Jean-Léon Gérôme Jean-Léon Gérôme (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living artist by 1880." The ran ...

and

Gustave Boulanger Gustave Clarence Rodolphe Boulanger (25 April 1824 – 22 September 1888) was a French figurative painter and academic artist and teacher known for his Classical and Orientalist subjects. Education and career The Néo-Grecs and the Prix de Rom ...

. During his nine-year stay in Paris, the international capital of fine arts at the time, he showed a keen interest for the artistic events of his day. His stay in Paris was also marked by the first ever visit by an

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

, when Sultan Abdülaziz was invited to the

Exposition Universelle (1867) The International Exposition of 1867 (french: Exposition universelle 'art et d'industriede 1867), was the second world's fair to be held in Paris, from 1 April to 3 November 1867. A number of nations were represented at the fair. Following a dec ...

Emperor Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

. He also met many of the

Young Ottomans The Young Ottomans () were a secret society established in 1865 by a group of Ottoman Turkish intellectuals who were dissatisfied with the Tanzimat reforms in the Ottoman Empire, which they believed did not go far enough. The Young Ottomans so ...

in Paris, and even though he was exposed to their liberal ideas, he did not participate in their political activities, being the son of an Ottoman

pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...

who was loyal to the

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

and did not challenge the old absolutist system. Osman Hamdi Bey also met his first wife Marie, a French woman, in Paris when he was a student. After receiving his father's blessings, she accompanied him to Istanbul (Constantinople) when he returned in 1869, where the two got married and had two daughters. Once back in Turkey, he was sent to the Ottoman province of

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

as part of the administrative team of

(the leading political figure and reformer among the

who enacted the First Ottoman Constitution in 1876, Midhat Pasha served as the

between 1876–1877, before being replaced by İbrahim Edhem Pasha, Osman Hamdi Bey's father.)W. Shaw, p. 98 In 1871, Osman Hamdi returned to Istanbul, as the vice-director of the Protocol Office of the Palace. During the 1870s, he worked on several assignments in the upper echelons of the Ottoman bureaucracy. He appointed as the first mayor of

in 1875, and stayed in that position for one year.

Career

Osman Hamdi exhibited three paintings at the 1867 Paris Exposition Universelle. None seem to have survived today, but their titles were ''Repose of the Gypsies'', ''Black Sea Soldier Lying in Wait'', and ''Death of the Soldier''. An important step in his career was his assignment as the director of the Imperial Museum (Müze-i Hümayun) in 1881. He used his position as museum director to develop the museum and rewrite the antiquities laws and to create nationally sponsored archaeological expeditions. Osman Hamdi focused on building relationships with international institutions, notably the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received an honorary degree in 1894. In 1902, he painted the excavation of

Nippur Nippur (Sumerian language, Sumerian: ''Nibru'', often logogram, logographically recorded as , EN.LÍLKI, "Enlil City;"The Cambridge Ancient History: Prolegomena & Prehistory': Vol. 1, Part 1. Accessed 15 Dec 2010. Akkadian language, Akkadian: '' ...

as a gift to the

University of Pennsylvania Museum The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology—commonly known as the Penn Museum—is an archaeology and anthropology museum at the University of Pennsylvania. It is located on Penn's campus in the University City neighb ...

. In 1882, he instituted and became director of the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

, which provided Ottomans with training in aesthetics and artistic techniques without leaving the empire. In 1884, he oversaw the promulgation of a Regulation prohibiting historical artifacts from being smuggled abroad ''(Asar-ı Atîka Nizamnamesi)'', a giant step in constituting a legal framework of preservation of the antiquities. Representatives or middlemen of 19th-century European Powers routinely smuggled artifacts with historical value from within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire (which then comprised the geographies of

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

and

Mesopotamian Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

civilizations, among others), often resorting to shadily obtained licenses or bribes, to enrich museums in European capitals. He conducted the first scientific based archaeological researches done by a Turkish team. His digs included sites as varied as the

Commagene Commagene ( grc-gre, Κομμαγηνή) was an ancient Greco-Iranian kingdom ruled by a Hellenized branch of the Iranian Orontid dynasty that had ruled over Armenia. The kingdom was located in and around the ancient city of Samosata, which ser ...

tomb-sanctuary in

Nemrut Dağı Mount Nemrut or Nemrud ( tr, Nemrut Dağı; ku, Çiyayê Nemrûdê; hy, Նեմրութ լեռ; Greek: Όρος Νεμρούτ) is a mountain in southeastern Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what ...

in southeastern

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

(a top tourist's venue in Turkey and a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

today, within the

Adıyaman Province Adıyaman Province ( tr, , ku, ) is a province in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. The capital is Adıyaman. The province is considered part of Turkish Kurdistan and has a Kurdish majority. Adıyaman Province was part of the provi ...

), the

Hekate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicte ...

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

Lagina Lagina ( grc, Λάγινα) or Laginia (Λαγινία) was a town in the territory of Stratonicea, in ancient Caria. It contained an important temple of Hecate, at which every year great festivals were celebrated. Tacitus, when speaking of the ...

in southwestern Anatolia (much less visited, and within the

Muğla Province Muğla Province ( tr, , ) is a province of Turkey, at the country's south-western corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its seat is Muğla, about inland, while some of Turkey's largest holiday resorts, such as Bodrum, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Fethiye, are ...

today), and

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. The

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a cadaver, corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from ...

he discovered in Sidon (including the one known as the

Alexander Sarcophagus The Alexander Sarcophagus is a late 4th century BC Hellenistic stone sarcophagus from the necropolis near Sidon, Lebanon. It is adorned with bas-relief carvings of Alexander the Great and scrolling historical and mythological narratives. The w ...

, although this sarcophagus is thought to contain the remains of either

Abdalonymus Abdalonimus ( el, ; literally "servant of the most high gods", transliterated from the Semitic name ''Abd-Elonim'') was a Phoenician gardener, but of royal descent, who was made King of Sidon by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Life After Alexand ...

, King of

; or

Mazaeus Mazaeus or Mazday (Aramaic: 𐡌𐡆𐡃𐡉 MZDY, Greek: Μαζαῖος ''Mazaios'') (died 328 BC) was an Achaemenid Persian noble and satrap of Cilicia and later satrap of Babylon for the Achaemenid Empire, a satrapy which he retained under Ale ...

, a Persian noble who was also the governor of

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

) are considered among the worldwide jewels of archaeological findings. To lodge these, he started building what is today the

Istanbul Archaeology Museum The Istanbul Archaeology Museums ( tr, ) are a group of three archaeological museums located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums: #Arch ...

in 1881. The museum officially opened in 1891 under his directorship. Throughout his professional career as museum and academy director, Osman Hamdi continued to paint in the style of his teachers, Gérôme and Boulanger. Yet, he frequently depicted himself and his family members in these paintings, complicating an assumption of a removed orientalist gaze in his work.

''The Tortoise Trainer''

Hamdi's 1906 painting, '' The Tortoise Trainer'', has held the record until 2019 for the most valuable Turkish painting, after being sold for 5 million

Turkish lira The lira ( tr, Türk lirası; sign: ₺; ISO 4217 code: TRY; abbreviation: TL) is the official currency of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. One lira is divided into one hundred ''kuruş''. History Ottoman lira (1844–1923) The lira, along with t ...

s (approx. US$3.5 million) in December 2004. At the 2004 Artam Antik A.Ç. auction in Istanbul, the Pera Museum and the Turkish Modern Museum fought to acquire the painting, and was ultimately purchased by the Pera Museum. The painting depicts Hamdi's likeness clad in antiquated clothing, training tortoises in a mosque. This choice of subject matter leads many to see this painting as a commentary on Turkey's conflicted national identity. The painting expresses a sarcastic

innuendo An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...

on the painter's own view of his style of work compared to those of his collaborators and apprentices, and is also a reference to the historical fact of tortoises having been employed for illuminating and decorative purposes, by placing candles on the shell, in evening outings during the

Tulip Era The Tulip Period, or Tulip Era (Ottoman Turkish: لاله دورى, tr, Lâle Devri), is a period in Ottoman history from the Treaty of Passarowitz on 21 July 1718 to the Patrona Halil Revolt on 28 September 1730. This was a relatively peacef ...

in the early 18th century. The painting was acquired by the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation and is currently on display at the

Pera Museum Pera Museum ( Turkish: ''Pera Müzesi'') is an art museum in the Tepebaşı quarter of the Beyoğlu (Pera) district in Istanbul, Turkey, at Meşrutiyet Avenue No. 65 (adjacent to İstiklal Avenue and in close proximity to Taksim Square.) It has ...

İstanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, which was established by this foundation. His ''Girl Reciting Qur'an'' (1880) broke the record by realizing US$7.8 million at a Bonhams auction in September 2019. Modern researchers have identified the animals portrayed are ''

Testudo graeca The Greek tortoise (''Testudo graeca''), also known commonly as the spur-thighed tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. ''Testudo graeca'' is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoises (genera '' Testudo'' and '' Ag ...

ibera'', a variety of the Spur-thighed tortoise. A reproduction of the painting appeared on the cover of the ''

Bibliotheca Herpetologica ''Bibliotheca Herpetologica: A Journal of the History and Bibliography of Herpetology'' is a biannual peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the history of herpetology and its bibliography. It is published by the nternational Society for the Hi ...

'' issue in which the paper about the identification was published. Historian Edhem Eldem has identified the source of the painting as an engraving of a Korean circus entertainer printed in ''Le Tour du Monde'' (1869) which was a popular French travel magazine. The meaning or any symbolic significance of the tortoises is still contested by scholars.

Work

Osman Hamdi was a prolific painter and author, whose work dealt with themes of archaeology, travel and folk customs in the Middle East. Hamdi studied painting in Paris under

and

, two prominent artists in the French Orientalist school. Despite being trained by Gérôme and Boulanger, and his reproduction of European orientalist motifs, Hamdi's paintings present Ottoman subjects differently than his contemporaries' works, most notably giving them more active and intellectual roles. Hamdi's status as an Ottoman intellectual causes many to see his use of orientalist motifs as subversive and critical of European orientalism. During his lifetime, his artwork was displayed more frequently in Europe than in Turkey. From 1880 on, he exhibited in Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Munich and London, and started a Salon in Constantinople. His works bear witness to a patient and conscientious method, and may be considered as documents of art history. He was the first who dared break with the Turkish pictorial tradition. Among his works are ''Prophet’s Tomb at Brussa'', ''Miraculous Springs (Paris 1904)'', ''Reading the Coran'' 1890, ''Theologian'' (Patrimony of the Austrian Court). These paintings can be found in private collections and in museums in Vienna, Paris, Liverpool, New York, Berlin and Constantinople (at the Palace of Dolma Bagdsche, at the home of Crown Prince Abdulmedjid). His painting ''Reading the Coran'' has been exhibited at “XI BIENNALE INTERNATIONALE DES ANTIQUAIRES” in Paris in 1982 and at the “FINE ART OF THE NETHERLANDS” at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York in November 1982.

Museums

Berlin “Persian Merchant”, Constantinople “Girl reading” and Liverpool “Young Emir studying”. Reading the Coran, 1890 by Osman Hamdi Bey

Select list of publications

* ''Les Costumes Populaires de la Turquie en 1873,'' (Popular Costumes in Turkey in 1873) by Osman Hamdi Bey, Marie de Launay and photographs by Pascal Sébah, Turkey, Commission Impériale Ottomane pour l'Exposition Universelle de Vienne, 1873 * ''Un Ottoman en Orient: Osman Hamdi Bey en Irak, 1869-1871'' (An Ottoman in the Orient: Osman Hambdi Bey in Iraq) by Osman Hamdi Bey, Rudolf Lindau, Marie de Launay and Edhem Eldem, c. 1871 * ''Une Nécropole Royale à Sidon: Fouilles de Hamdy Bey,'' (A Royal Necropolis in

: Excavations by Hamdy Bey) by Osman Hamdi Bey, Paris, E. Leroux, 1892 * ''Le voyage à Nemrud Dağı d'Osman Hamdi Bey et Osgan Efendi (1883): récit de voyage et photographies,'' (The trip to Nemrud Dağı by Osman Hamdi Bey and Osgan Efendi (1883): travelogue and photographs) by Osman Hamdi Bey, Paris, 1883 * ''Le Tumulus de Nemrut-Dagi,'' (The Nemrut-Dagi Mound), by Osman Hamdi Bey, Constantinople, F. Lœffler, 1883

Selected paintings

File:Osman Hamdi Bey - The Tortoise Trainer - Google Art Project.jpg, '' The Tortoise Trainer'' (1906) File:Osman_Hamdi_Bey_-_Arzuhalci_,_Public_Scribe_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg, ''Scrivener'' (1910) File:Osman Hamdi Bey - Kur’an Tilaveti , Reciting the Quran - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Man reading the Quran'' (1910) File:Osman Hamdi Bey - Naile Hanım Portresi , Portrait of Naile Hanım - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Lady Naile '' (1910) File:Osman hamdi bey silah taciri.jpg, ''Arms Dealer'' (1908) File:Osman hamdi bey mihrap.jpg, ''

Mihrab Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...

'' (1901) File:OsmanHamdiBeyTwoYoungGirlsVisitingAShrine.jpg, ''Two Young Girls visiting a

Türbe ''Türbe'' is the Turkish word for "tomb". In Istanbul it is often used to refer to the mausolea of the Ottoman sultans and other nobles and notables. The word is derived from the Arabic ''turbah'' (meaning ''"soil/ground/earth"''), which ...

'' (1890) File:Osman Hamdi Bey 002.jpg, ''Women in Travel'' (1887) File:Osman Hamdi Bey 004.jpg, ''Women in Front of Mosque'' (1882) File:Osman Hamdi Bey 005.jpg, ''From Harem'' (1880) File:A Lady of Constantinople - Osman Hamdi Bey.jpg, ''A Lady of Constantinople'' (1881) File:Osman Hamdi Bey - Leylak Toplayan Kız.jpg, ''The Girl Who is Picking Up Lilac'' (1881) File:Osman Hamdi Bey - Kahve Ocağı (2B low resolution).jpg, (1879) File:Reading the Coran, 1890.jpg, ''Reading the Coran'', 1890

Paintings at the Pera Museum, Istanbul

File:Osman Hamdi Bey Çoban Mustafa Paşa Complex in Gebze.jpg, ''

Külliye A külliye ( ota, كلية) is a complex of buildings associated with Turkish architecture centered on a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a waqf (charitable foundation) and composed of a madrasa, a Dar al-Shifa ("cl ...

of Çoban Mustafa Pasha in

Gebze Gebze (,) is a district in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. It is situated 65 km (30 mi) southeast of Istanbul, on the Gulf of Izmit, the eastern arm of the Sea of Marmara. Gebze is the largest district per population size in the province as o ...

'' (1880s) File:Osman Hamdi Bey Kökenoğlu Riza Efendi.jpg, ''Kökenoğlu Riza Efendi'' (1871) File:Osman Hamdi Bey Girl with Pink Cap.jpg, ''Girl with Pink Cap'' (June 1904) File:Osman Hamdi Bey - Two Musician Girls - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Two Musician Girls'' (1880)

Paintings at museums outside Turkey

File:1888 Bey Persischer Teppichhändler auf der Straße anagoria.JPG, ''Persian carpet dealer on the street'' (1888),

Alte Nationalgalerie The Alte Nationalgalerie ( ''Old National Gallery'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin, Germany. The gallery was built from 1862 to 1876 by the order of King Frederick William IV of Prussi ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

File:Osman hamdy bey, vecchio davanti alle tombe di bambini, 1903.JPG, ''Man in front of children's tombs in a

türbe ''Türbe'' is the Turkish word for "tomb". In Istanbul it is often used to refer to the mausolea of the Ottoman sultans and other nobles and notables. The word is derived from the Arabic ''turbah'' (meaning ''"soil/ground/earth"''), which ...

'' (1903),

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

Family

*His daughter Nazlı Hamdi (1893–1958) married an Ottoman diplomat, Esat Cemil Bey, in 1912, and the couple had one daughter, Cenan Hamdi Sarç, who lived 99 years and died in 2012. Cenan Hamdi married Ömer Celal Sarç, who was the rector of

Istanbul University , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

in 1932. She had one son, Faruk Sarç, who was born in 1933. In 1932, Nazlı Hamdi married French engineer, Audoin Fouache d’Halloy (1889–1948). *He was the brother of Halil Edhem Eldem, who became the Director of the

after his death, and served as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

at the

Grand National Assembly of Turkey The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...

for ten years under the newly founded

Turkish Republic Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. *He was the brother of

İsmail Galib Bey Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

, considered the founder of

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...

as a scientific discipline in Turkey. *He was the granduncle of

Sedad Hakkı Eldem Sedad Hakkı Eldem (1908 in Constantinople – 7 September 1988, in Istanbul), was a Turkish architect and one of the pioneers of nationalized modern architecture in Turkey. Biography Eldem was born in Istanbul in 1908. He graduated from ...

, a renowned Turkish architect. *He was the granduncle of

Cemal Reşit Rey Cemal Reşit Rey (; 25 October 1904 – 7 October 1985) was a Turkish composer, pianist, script writer and conductor. He was well known for a string of successful and popular Turkish-language operettas for which his brother Ekrem Reşit Rey (1 ...

, one of the five pioneers of classical music in Turkey (termed

the Turkish Five The Turkish Five ( tr, Türk Beşleri) is a name used by some authors to identify five pioneers of western classical music in Turkey.İlyasoğlu (1998), 14. They were all born in the first decade of the 20th century and composed their best music i ...

Documentary films

* ''Osman Hamdi Bey: Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi'' ("Osman Hamdi Bey: The Tortoise Trainer") is a 2012 documentary film about the life and works of Osman Hamdi Bey, directed by Umut Hacıfevzioğlu.

References and notes

Biography

*''Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi'', Osman Hamdi Bey'in Romanı, Emre Can, Kapı Yayınları, 2008. *''L'ammaestratore di Istanbul'', Elettra Stamboulis &

Gianluca Costantini Gianluca Costantini (born December 19, 1971) in Ravenna, Italy, is a cartoonist, artist, Comic journalist, and activist. Biography Gianluca Costantini he graduated from the Art Institute Gino Severini of Ravenna in 1991 in Applied Art and t ...

, Comma 22, 2008. *''L'ammaestratore di Istanbul'', Elettra Stamboulis &

, Giuda Edizioni, 2013. *''P. & V. BERKO'', “Peinture Orientaliste - Orientalist Painting”, Knokke-Heist Belgium, 1982.

External links

''The Turtle Tamer of Istanbul'' Graphic Novel
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Osman Hamdi 1842 births 1910 deaths 20th-century painters from the Ottoman Empire Archaeologists from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century painters from the Ottoman Empire People from the Ottoman Empire of Greek descent Artists from Istanbul Orientalism Orientalist painters Scientists from the Ottoman Empire Archaeologists from Istanbul Curators from Istanbul