Hâfiz Osman (
Modern Turkish: ''Hâfız Osman'') (1642–1698) was an
Ottoman calligrapher
Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...
noted for improving the script and for developing a layout template for the
hilye which became the classical approach to page design.
History
Born Osman Den Ali, in
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 was of
Dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from ) in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage is found particularly in Persi ...
origin and worked under the name of Hâfiz Osman. His father was a
muezzin
The muezzin (; ), also spelled mu'azzin, is the person who proclaims the call to the daily prayer ( ṣalāt) five times a day ( Fajr prayer, Zuhr prayer, Asr prayer, Maghrib prayer and Isha prayer) at a mosque from the minaret. The muezzin ...
at the Khassèki mosque, a position which afforded he and his family great protection.
He became an accomplished calligrapher and was a tutor to the sultans
Ahmed II,
Mustafa II
Mustafa II (; ''Muṣṭafā-yi sānī''; 6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703.
Early life
He was born at Edirne Palace on 6 February 1664. He was the son of Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–87 ...
and
Ahmed III, and was held in high esteem by the sultan
Mustafa II
Mustafa II (; ''Muṣṭafā-yi sānī''; 6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703.
Early life
He was born at Edirne Palace on 6 February 1664. He was the son of Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–87 ...
, who, according to legend often watched him work and held his inkwell as he wrote.
He received his formal training with
Suyolcuzade Mustafa Eyyubi and Derviş Ali. He studied ''
naskh'' and ''sulus'' with Derviş Ali, and was certified by Suyolcuzade Mustafa Eyyubi. Osman also admired the work of the 15th-century calligrapher,
Seyh Hamdullah, and spent many hours copying his works assiduously in order to perfect his craft.
Osman revived some of the six scripts that had fallen into disuse. These scripts underwent a process of purification and became known as "Hâfiz Osman's style". The younger generation of calligraphers preferred this style, and it gradually replaced Hamdullah's style.
Osman was not only a fine calligrapher, but was also a master of layout. He raised text design to new heights, often incorporating different styles of calligraphy on the same page. His masterpiece is the Ottoman ''
hilye''; a design template that includes eight distinct elements arranged aesthetically to provide for contemplative reflection and devotion. The elements are: ''Ba makan'' (prelude); ''Gobek'' (belly); ''Hilal'' (crescent); ''Ko'eler'' (corners); ''Ayak'' (verse); ''Etek'' (foot); ''Koltukar'' (alleys) and ''Pervaz'' (frame). His ''
hilye'' became the standard layout in the Ottoman world.
A ''hilye'' is a calligraphic panel containing a
hadith
Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
-based text describing the
Prophet Muhammad
In Islam, Muhammad () is venerated as the Seal of the Prophets who transmitted the Quran, eternal word of God () from the Angels in Islam, angel Gabriel () to humans and jinn. Muslims believe that the Quran, the central religious text of Isl ...
's physical appearance and attributes. Hâfiz Osman incorporated such texts, which had been popular for some time, in a formal design that soon became standard for this art form. ''Hilye'' came to be used as wall decorations or surface adornments, fulfilling much the same function as figurative paintings in other religious traditions. While containing a concrete and artistically appealing description of Prophet's appearance, they complied with the strictures against figurative depictions of the Prophet, leaving his appearance to the viewer's imagination.
Hâfiz Osman also reinvigorated Hamdullah's tradition, in particular the re-introduction of a number of scripts that had fallen into disuse. Among his surviving works are copies of the
Koran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
held at the
Topkapi Palace Museum Library in Istanbul and the
Nasser D. Khalili Collection. The volumes of the Koran produced by Osman were among the most highly sought-after in his time.
He gave lessons to the poor on Sundays and lessons to the wealthy on Wednesdays. Throughout his lifetime, he trained a large number of calligraphers, of whom the finest was
Yedikuleli Seyyid 'Abdullah Efendi.
Works
Surviving examples of his work can be found in the
Topkapi Collection.
[''The Diez Albums: Contexts and Contents'', BRILL, c. 2016, p.136]
Image:Recueil d’adages et de hadiths - Turquie - 17ème siècle - Louvre - MAO 2090.jpg,
Image:Containing Hafız Osman's calligraphies - Murakka (calligraphic album) - Google Art Project.jpg,
Image:Copied by Hafız Osman - Prayer manual - Google Art Project.jpg,
Image:Hilye by Hafiz Osman from Sadberk Hanim Museum.jpg,
See also
*
Culture of the Ottoman Empire
The culture of the Ottoman Empire evolved over several centuries as the ruling administration of the Turkish peoples, Turks absorbed, adapted and modified the various native cultures of conquered lands and their peoples. There was influence from t ...
*
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of penmanship and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the Arabic script#Additional letters used in other languages, alphabets derived from it. It is a highly stylized and struc ...
*
List of Ottoman calligraphers
*
Ottoman art
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osman, Hafiz
1642 births
1698 deaths
Calligraphers from the Ottoman Empire
Muslim artists
17th-century artists from the Ottoman Empire