A comparative evaluation of the portrait tradition in Ottoman miniature art and the portrait tradition in the painting art of the Republican period

In this thesis, the portrait tradition of Ottoman miniature art and that of the Republican period are comparatively examined in their historical, formal, and ideological dimensions. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the artistic perspectives, approaches to representation, and the role of the artist in both periods, revealing that portrait art represents not only a technical transformation but also a cultural shift. In Ottoman miniature art, the portrait did not primarily aim to reflect the individual's identity directly, but rather to symbolically convey the social, political, and ideological status that the figure represented. Prominent artists of this period include Nakkaş Osman, Nigari, Levni, Siblizade Ahmed, Musavver Hüseyin, and Sinan Bey, whose works highlight collective narratives and historical context rather than individual facial expressions. With the Republican era, however, influenced by Western artistic traditions, portraits became more individual-centered, realistic, volumetric, and psychologically expressive. Artists such as Osman Hamdi Bey, İbrahim Çallı, Feyhaman Duran, Namık İsmail, Turgut Zaim, and Malik Aksel employed portraiture both as a representation of individual identity and as a visual tool of national ideology, thereby contributing to the construction of a new cultural identity through depictions of the people, leaders, and artists. The analyses conducted within this study demonstrate that the portrait tradition embodies a profound paradigm shift between the two periods—not only technically, but also in terms of state-individual relations, cultural representation, and the position of the artist. In this context, the portrait emerges not merely as a depiction of a face, but as a powerful medium reflecting the values, ideology, and historical identity of the society to which it belongs. The selected portrait samples were evaluated by experts through the use of the Painting Evaluation Scale, and the findings were presented in tables and supported by graphs. This method aimed to enhance the objectivity and scientific validity of the study. Based on the findings, it may be suggested that future research could explore the impact of the portrait tradition on contemporary painting and digital art, expand on lesser-known portrait artists and works of the periods, and incorporate these traditions into museum exhibitions and art education to better communicate them to audiences. Keywords: Ottoman, Republic, Miniature, Portrait, Tradition