Representation of gender roles in Turkish painting (1880-1950)

In this study, the subject of femininity and masculinity in the painting of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey, covering a period of approximately 70 years between 1880-1950, was examined. The period between 1880-1950 covers both Ottoman and Turkish Republican modernization. There is an enlightenment process that started with the Tanzimat and a nation-state building that came with the Republic. Therefore, with the changing society in the process of modernization, it is inevitable to change the roles of men and women. In this thesis, the reflections of masculinity and femininity, that is, gender stereotypes and roles, on the Turkish painting art within the framework of the specified period were examined, and the approaches and reflections of male and female artists to themselves and the opposite sex were investigated. Masculinity, like femininity, is a product of historical, cultural and social construction processes. In the art of painting, there is the same kind of gender and society creation. Masculinity studies emerged in the 1970s as a continuation of feminism and began to be studied in the 1990s. The definition that will be called "masculinity studies" includes many concepts such as "patriarchy, masculinity, femininity, the construction of gender..." This process has not only regional but also universal characteristics. In this study, literature review and descriptive research methods were used.