The depiction of religious motifs and symbols in the painting of William Holman Hunt, Jean-Leon Gerome and Osman Hamdi Bey

This research investigates the utilization of religious motifs and symbols in the paintings of artists influenced by the Orientalist movement, such as William Holman Hunt, Jean-Leon Gerome, and Osman Hamdi Bey, and examines the deciphering of hidden messages within these works. The portrayal of the Eastern image by Orientalist painters and the role of religious symbols in these depictions have been scrutinized through the application of semiotic analysis. In the first part of the thesis, the concepts of "orientalism" and "orientalist painting" are discussed in detail, and it is explained how the mystery of the east shapes the perception of the west and how it is reflected in the art of painting by searching for innovation in a saturated western art. In the main part of the research, a few examples of paintings by William Holman Hunt selected from British orientalism and a few examples of paintings by Jean-Leon Gerome selected from French orientalism are analyzed, while examples of paintings by Osman Hamdi Bey from the Ottoman Empire are analyzed, and how the concept of orientalism is formed from the perspective of the artists is examined using semiology and basic concepts. Thus, religious motifs and symbols in orientalist paintings are analyzed in a multifaceted way with the semiology method. How the selected orientalist painters encoded religious symbols and the role of these symbols in the works are examined. How the orientalist movement affected the perception of the east and its effect on the reality of religious symbols are investigated. The concluding section explores how the portrayal of religious symbols in Orientalist paintings shaped Western perception and facilitated the transmission of Eastern culture to the West. Additionally, it highlights how semiotic analysis deepens the understanding of Orientalist artworks and elucidates the messages conveyed through religious symbols. This study aims to comprehend the significance of religious motifs and symbols in Orientalist paintings and evaluate how these artworks are perceived in Western society. The semiotic analysis of Orientalist paintings contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between Eastern culture and Western perception. Keywords: Religious Motifs, Symbols, Artistic Representation, Comperative Analysis, William Holman Hunt, Jean-Leon Gerome, Osman Hamdi Bey.