Ahmed Ali Pasha (1841 – 5 May 1907), better known as "Şeker" Ahmed Pasha, was an Ottoman painter, soldier and government official. His nickname "Şeker" meant "sugar" in Turkish, which he earned due to his very easy-going nature.

Biography

Born in

Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 35 km2, and its population is 524,452 (2022). It is a large and densely populated district on the Anatolian (Asian) shore of the Bosphorus. It is border ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

he entered medical school in 1855, then transferred to the military academy. Here, he showed an interest in painting, his medical and military experience having aroused an interest in anatomy and perspective. Sultan

Abdülaziz Abdulaziz (; ; 8 February 18304 June 1876) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 25 June 1861 to 30 May 1876, when he was 1876 Ottoman coup d'état, overthrown in a government coup. He was a son of Sultan Mahmud II and succeeded his brother ...

liked his work and sent him to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

immediately after

Süleyman Seyyid Süleyman Seyyid Bey (1842, Istanbul - 1913, Istanbul) was a painter and art teacher from the Ottoman Empire. He is primarily known for his still-lifes. He taught art in military schools for 36 years and is considered to be a member of the first g ...

, to study under

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 ...

and

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

. He spent seven years of study in France, and had an exhibition of his oil paintings in Paris in 1869. He returned to Istanbul in 1871, with a military rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. In 1873, with the assistance of the French painter, Pierre-Désiré Guillemet, he organized and presented one of the first art exhibits in Istanbul. "Şeker" Ahmed Pasha advanced rapidly in military rank. In 1876, he was promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

, in 1877 lieutenant colonel, in 1880

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

, in 1885 brigadier general, and, finally, in 1890 to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

. In 1896 he was placed in charge of official military protocol. "Şeker" Ahmed Pasha is one of the most important examples of the Ottoman military painters. He painted nature-related subjects such as forests, fruits, flowers, and animals with great skill. His life and art reflects the experience of Ottoman elites in the aftermath of the

Tanzimat The (, , lit. 'Reorganization') was a period of liberal reforms in the Ottoman Empire that began with the Edict of Gülhane of 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. Driven by reformist statesmen such as Mustafa Reşid Pash ...

reform movement, which sought to learn more of Western culture, with the intent of either emulating it or blending it with traditional Ottoman patterns. Pasha was an example of such emulation and blending in the field of painting. He died on May 5, 1907, of a heart attack, and is buried in

Eyüp Cemetery The Eyüp Cemetery (), aka Eyüp Sultan Cemetery, is a historic burial ground located in the Eyüp district, on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the General Directorate of Foundations. One of the oldest and largest Musl ...

in Istanbul.

Selected paintings

File:Ahmed-Sheep.jpg, Landscape with Sheep Image:Seker ahmet pasa ayvali naturmort.JPG, Still-life with Quinces File:Ahmed-Roe.jpg, Roe in the Forest File:Ahmed-Grapes.jpg, Still-life with Persimmons and Grapes

References

External links

1841 births 1907 deaths 19th-century painters from the Ottoman Empire Flower artists Military personnel of the Ottoman Empire Orientalist painters Pashas Painters from Istanbul Still life painters Burials at Eyüp Cemetery {{Ottoman-bio-stub