Iconographic interpretation of local motifs in Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu's paintings

Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu (1911, Görele – 21 September 1975, Istanbul) is a prominent Turkish painter, writer and poet who frequently incorporated local Anatolian motifs into his paintings. By reflecting elements of folk culture through a modern artistic language, he developed a unique visual expression rooted in cultural memory. Although the fundamental principles and elements used by the artist are theoretically defined, the meanings he attributed to these concepts often transformed and allowed for new interpretations. Understanding an artwork and the message conveyed by the artist requires the use of various critical approaches. In this context, it is essential to consider the cultural, sociological, historical and economic conditions of the period in which the work was produced, together with formal elements such as color, form, stain and composition. Within this framework, Panofsky's iconographic method offers an effective analytical tool for art interpretation. In this study, nine works by Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu that include local motifs were examined through the iconographic method. The analyses aim to reveal the sources from which the artist drew inspiration and the layers of meaning he constructed through these motifs. The findings suggest that Eyüboğlu used local motifs not merely as decorative elements, but as a symbolic language that makes cultural identity visible.