Brave Things That the Painting Called “Altar” Tells

There is no one who hasn’t heard of the painter Osman Hamdi Bey. He is famous Turtle Trainer owner of the painting. This painting, which is almost integrated with the name of Osman Hamdi Bey, is a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. to modernization And to innovations It is an extremely closed society. with metaphors A telling work of art.

With the education he received in the Western style, he took a completely different approach to his art. perspective adding and orientalist Osman Hamdi Bey, who has a unique style, became a painter who expressed some social issues with his art that he could not say directly. That’s why Osman Hamdi’s works are so popular. is layered. Almost with visions Let’s take a closer look at the Altar, which is filled with food and has been the focus of as much criticism as the Turtle Trainer.

Mihrab is Osman Hamdi Bey’s most sensational painting.

One of the most impressive works of Osman Hamdi Bey is Mihrap, also known as Mihrap, whose whereabouts are unknown today. Genesis (Creation) table.

So, why has Osman Hamdi’s lost painting, Mihrab, been the target of criticism and attacks since its creation?

Although at first glance we only see a woman sitting with a confident stance, this picture is actually not that superficial… To women’s freedom One of the biggest obstacles listens There is a large sign in the table that emphasizes that to the lecternWe see a woman sitting at a low wooden table where the holy book is placed while reading. The location of the lectern is exactly where it should be. Well at the altar… If it is a woman Koran He is depicted with his back to the altar framed with the inscription.

The woman depicted in the painting and the woman in Islam are diametrically opposed.

The woman’s open hair, cleavage and Having his back turned to the Kaaba When we take this into account, we see that it has nothing to do with the dressing style that Islam expects from women.

At the bottom of the painting, there are holy books under the feet of the strong female figure.

one of these books of Islam holy book Holy Quran, the other one Zarathustra holy book of religion Zend-Avesta and another one is Buddhism‘s book Sakiya Muni. It’s as if all of these books were opened, read, absorbed, and then thrown aside. The open pages of these books give the impression that they were thrown around after being read and comprehended.

More importantly, it is emphasized that women have a power more valuable than the holy books and all religions.

If you pay attention, there are holy books in the table. Bible And Torah not included. holy books of the east The depiction of the woman under her feet is extremely against Isn’t that a situation?

Especially women’s oppression and humiliation It takes great courage to paint this painting, which evokes the feeling that it is experienced in these religions, in a geography like the Ottoman Empire, where the heavy pressure of traditions and religion is felt.

Even today everyone does bravery Osman Hamdi Bey painted this form of representation in the Ottoman Empire in 1901, and this explains why this painting is still chaos It’s like he’s explaining what he created…

Another important detail is that the woman in the picture is pregnant.

The place where Osman Hamdi Bey, who placed women at a higher level in a way that was very contrary to his time, positioned women with this metaphor is very sacred. Osman Hamdi Bey, who criticized Ottoman women living under social and religious pressures at every opportunity, actually used this metaphor to describe women as women. “creative” attributes the adjective.

So who is this unusual woman in the painting?

Although the identity of the woman depicted is not clear, some say she is The youth of Naile Hanım, wife of Osman Hamdi Bey. According to some, the painter used it as a model. An Armenian woman working at home.

The Mihrab painting, which has been the target of criticism and attacks since its creation, has never been exhibited.

The table that was last recorded in Demirbank’s archives, loss… Although there is no definitive information about the whereabouts of the painting, there are two theories. One of them is that the picture was hidden by some people in order to protect it from the threat of destruction. Another is that the painting has already been destroyed.

Mihrap, one of the paintings that caused the most attacks on Osman Hamdi Bey; It contains subtle, realistic, shocking images that make us think about the value women see even today.

You are Osman Hamdi Bey’s against What do you think about the painting Mihrap?