The art of embroidery most likely traveled
west with the Turkic nomads from their
Central Asian homelands. It was widely used as the
military equipment of the Seljuk and
Ottoman soldiers such as tents, pavilions,
saddles and holsters richly embroidered with
motives and battle scenes, many of which
are preserved in the Military Museum in
Harbiye, Istanbul. Buldan, Sile, Mugla and Rize specializes in the production of embroidered cotton clothing, towels and tablecloths. Many excellent examples of embroidery can be seen in the Topkapi Museum and the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Sariyer, or inferor copies bought in the Grand Bazaar
.

One of Osman Hamdi Paintings

It was only in the 19th century that a Turkish painting movement in the Western sense occurred, with the founding by Osman Hamdi Bey of the Academy of Fine Arts (now the Mimar Sinan University School of Fine Arts). The Sultans began to bring foreign painters, mostly Italian, French or Russian, to live as court painters, and Turkish painters were sent abroad to learn from European masters. In 1919 the Ottoman Society of Painters held their first exhibition in Galatasaray. Following the war, impressionism was a major influence on Turkish painters. Painting continued to develop through the thirties and forties, with increased emphasis on design and subject matter. Today's Turkish artists are no longer bound in subject or design by their past, and a wide range of techniques and approaches

Seker Ahmet Pasha (Pawn in Forest)

are being used by many artists at work today. There are an ever-increasing number of art galleries showcasing these young talents, with regular exhibitions of new work.

Please feel free to contact our office if
you would like to see or buy
examples of aforementioned branches
of Turkish Art such as calligraphy ,
miniature, painting...

 

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