Child depictions in 16th century Ottoman miniatures and European paintings

The focus of this study is the representation of children in miniatures and paintings produced during the 16th century. Accordingly, the primary aim is to examine how child figures were depicted in these artworks and to explore contemporary perceptions of children and childhood within the socio-cultural context of the period. In this study, the visual materials obtained through document analysis have been classified and interpreted from a historical perspective. The sample group comprises visual sources deemed significant in shedding light on the history of childhood. These sources include 16th century miniatures and paintings. The miniatures were identified through a survey of illustrated manuscripts held in public libraries both in Türkiye and internationally and were subsequently acquired by establishing contact with the respective institutions. The paintings were sourced from a range of international digital collections and libraries with open online access. The visual materials identified through these searches were categorized based on their institutional origin (library or collection) as well as thematic frameworks developed using the Maxqda qualitative data analysis software. The miniatures and paintings were then examined through comparative analysis within their respective thematic categories. The research found that the children depicted in the compared miniatures and paintings occupied different social statuses within society and were portrayed in accordance with these respective statuses. Key Words: Child, Childhood, Ottoman, Miniature, Europe, Painting