Osman Hamdi Bey

More than 100 years after his death, the legacy Osman Hamdi Bey left behind live in the works of academics, institutions, and museums. He continues to make headlines, draw attention, be heard, and become the topic of heated debates. This special section dedicated to Osman Hamdi Bey not only displays different aspects of his impassioned relationship with the art of painting through his works included in the collection, but it also pays tribute to this multifaceted personality. Osman Hamdi Bey is primarily recognized as a man of culture and arts. For him, the art of painting was a passion that he strived to dedicate more time to and advance throughout his life. Following the education he received in Paris, Osman Hamdi Bey often sent paintings to leading exhibitions held across European capitals. Starting with Orientalism, his works reflect the aesthetic taste and proclivities dominating the art circles, particularly in Paris. Osman Hamdi Bey was an Ottoman intellectual who grew up during the innovative Tanzimat era. He was not only a prominent painter, but also a major actor in the process of Westernization, a... In the free guided exhibition tour, five works of Osman Hamdi Bey from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Orientalist Painting Collection illustrating various subject matters will be explained along with some biographical details and the cultural and historical context of the times. The significance and role of these works within the collection are also highlighted. Pera Museum offers an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Osman Hamdi Bey as a painter and intellectual of the Tanzimat era in the free guided exhibition tour, organized as part of the exhibition titled Osman Hamdi Bey: The life and art of Osman Hamdi Bey through his works in the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Collection. Three collection exhibitions, curated from Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation collections, are presented to visitors with the accompaniment of a guide. Jean-Léon Gérôme is among the most renowned artists of the second half of the 19th century. One of the most fervent advocates of academic painting, Gérôme declared a personal war against modern movements such as Impressionism. A Salon exhibition held in the Grand Palais in Paris on May 1, 1906 showcased an Ottoman painting. This was Osman Hamdi Bey’s famous “Tortoise Trainer”. The exhibition Look at Me! Portraits and Other Fictions from the ”la Caixa” Contemporary Art Collection examines portraiture, one of the oldest artistic genres, through a significant number of works of our times. Through the exhibition we will be sharing about the artists and sections in Look At Me!.