Turkish fashion / Turquerie in 18th century British art

In this study, the artworks produced within the scope of Turkish fashion/Turquerie, which can be seen in rococo and neo-classical movements in British art in the 18th century, were discussed considering historical and political circumstances of the era along with the developments in everyday life and cultural-art environment. Turquerie was adopted in many European countries in the 18th century, especially in France. This fashion was influential in the fields of art, primarily in painting, architecture, handicrafts and in opera, theater, literature. People who adopted this fashion exhibit specific practices such as consuming Turkish coffee or tobacco in their everyday lives, buying/demanding porcelain with Turkish figures, showing an interest in Turkish-themed travel books, story books, paintings, and theater plays, furnishing Turkish rooms, buying, or renting Turkish clothes and participating in masquerade balls, and/or portraying their portraits in such costumes. Besides, those who were interested in this fashion were also able to experience being in Istanbul effortlessly through panorama exhibitions at the end of the century. In this study, the first cases of Turquerie in England and its range of expansion, the figures in the role as catalysator, some patrons/societies directly related to the subject in the field of art and prominent artists are examined. During this period, Grand Tours that drawn attention, Lady Montagu's letters, the members of the Divan Club, and important figures such as Jean-Étienne Liotard were influental in the occurrence and spread of Turquerie in England. In the thesis, examples of the practices of applying this fashion in the cultural and art environment of England are examined and through these examples, comparisons are made with France and other European countries.