A Şeker Ahmet Pasha: His art and artsit personality

iiiABSTRACTThe Ottoman?s first contact with western painting began with Fatih SultanMehmet?s invitation Italian artists to his palace in 15th century. During theRecession Periods, the western influence has increased which reached to its peak ofto the Tanzimat Period. Ottoman Palace has interested in western art an collectedpaintings of foreign artists and then of Ottoman artists who studied painting inmilitary schools. Mühendishane-i Berri Hümayun (1793) is first military school togive painting lessons and from the middle of 19th century the western painting hadbeen improved in Turkey by placing art lesson in all military schools? programmes.Şeker Ahmet Paşa who is a military-originated painter was born in Uskudar.He started school when he was five and after primary school, he enrolled to Tıbbiyeat the age of fourteen. In this school, he was promoted to a position as an art teacherby means of his ability. As a result of his sucess, he was sent to Paris when he hadfinished his school. In the same years, Süleyman Seyyid and Osman Hamdi were tooin France. In Paris while he was studying at Mekteb-i Osmani which had beenopened for Turkish students in Paris, he also studied as Gustave Bolulanger?s andGerome?s student in Paris Fine Art Academy.After his return stanbul, Şeker Ahmet Paşa worked as a teacher in variousschools for a time. At that time, he organized his first painting exhibition in 1873 bywhich he called Sultan?s attention. Later, in 1875, he organized one more paintingexhibition and these activities effected his career positively. He participate to theexhibitions held by Elifba Art Club and in 1900, he held a personal exhibition againin Pera. He also participated to the exhibitions of Istanbul Salons. The work oforganizing exhibitions brought him mission of collecting paintings for the Ottomanpalace. This collection which is still in National Palaces? includes the paintings ofartists such as Gerome, Daubigny, Schreyer, Yvon, Boulanger and also artistsworked in stanbul in that time such as Guillemet and Aivazovsky.Şeker Ahmet Paşa who became a Yaver in a short time by taking ranks alsobecame Misafirin-i Ecnebiye Teşrifatçısı. In the later time of his life, he could spendivlittle time for his art workings because of his official duties. So, he worked paintingin his work-shop that he had built in a room of his mansion in Mercan. He died in1907.He mostly worked still lifes and landcapes. In his still lifes, he preferred fruitsand flowers. In some examples, there are both fruits and flowers. One of hispaintings Ayvalar is a different example in which stil life subject was treated in alandscape. His landscapes are separated into two: landacapes of forest views andlandscapes with wide horizon. Also his paintings named Talim Yapan Erler andTepe Üstünde Kale ve Evler can be studied as an other group. In some of hislandscapes, there are architectural forms. In some examples, gazelles and ders the aremain theme of the landscapes. His self portrait is the only known figure painting.Şeker Ahmet Paşa interested in composition rather than colour and light in hisstil lifes. In his landscapes, it can be seen that he used lihgt effect but he also gaveimportance to composition again by ordering trees. The perspective given to thefigure in his painting named Orman which is in stanbul Resim Heykel Müzesicreates a feeling as if the spectator is in the view. His paintings named Talim YapanErler and Tepe Üstünde Kale ve Evler reflects the taste of miniature painting. Hisself portrait is an example of this genre unique in his generation and it shows thesocial and cultural contradictions of Ottoman artists during the westernization period.In the late period of Ottoman as an intellectual and statesman Şeker AhmetPaşa is on his own. In this respect, he is different from his contemporaries. OsmanHamdi was interested in cultural events and paints. But, his paintings defendOttoman people aganist Orientalism and improve an Orientalist style as analternative to the western orientalist paintings. Süleyman Seyyid had a life which ismore peculiar to artist and he inrerested in problems of painting.