OTTOMAN

MINIATURE PAINTING
What is miniature
painting?
Miniature is a special kind of
painting or drawing included in a
book.
Ottoman Miniature was an art
form in the Ottoman Empire.
It was a part of the Ottoman Arts
together with illumination (tezhip),
calligraphy (hat), marbling paper
(ebru) and bookbinding (cilt).
Ottoman miniature developed with
the traditions of Persian and
Vocabulary of Miniature
Painting
Ottomans defined miniature
painting as “tasvir” or nakish”.
The person who makes tasvir or
nakish was called Nakkash.
The studios of Nakkashs was
called Nakkashane.


Major Themes
in the Ottoman miniature
 accession to throne (cülus),
 religious festival gatherings (muayede),
 palace entertainments (meclis),
 ambassador receptions (sarayda kabul),
 rewarding of statesmen and ambassadors (hilat verilisi),
council meetings (divan toplantisi),
 Topkapi Palace,
 military expeditions,
 circumcision rituals,
 trade groups' entertainments-,
 sports contests,
 funerals,
 portraits of Ottoman rulers,
 war and siege,
 hunting,
 city depictions
By Levni
 Belgrad Campaign

The Philosophy of
Ottoman Miniature
Painting

“Each kind of art has its own mentality. “

“No Sign”
 Miniature painting is different from an
ordinary painting.
 It has its own mentality and philosophy.
Examples:

 Generally, Ottoman miniatures were not

signed.
 Because, Ottoman miniature painting is
the product of a world view that reject
individualism.
 Besides that, a miniature painting is a
collective work of different people. The
head painter designs the composition
“Sufism: Escaping from
Worldly”
 The world-view of the Ottoman
miniature painting was different from
European Renaissance Painting
tradition.
 The painters did not aim to depict the
human beings and other living or non-
living beings realistically.
 According to the world view of sufism,
the worldly beings were not
permanent and worth adoring.
 The Ottoman artists wanted to reach an
infinite and transcendent reality with
their paintings so they stylized and
History of Ottoman Miniature
Painting
During the reign of Mehmed II, a
painting academy called
Nakkashane-i Rum was founded in
Topkapı Palace.
The task of the artists in this
academy was to create illuminated
picture manuscripts for the Sultan
and the courtiers.
Behzad was a famous miniature
painter in Tebriz. When Yavuz
Sultan Selim conquered Tabriz,
Behzad and his pupils moved to
Famous Ottoman Nakkashs
 The period of Suleiman the Magnificent
was the golden age of Ottoman
miniature.
 Nakkash Osman was the most
important miniature painter of this
period.
 Orhan Pamuk’s novel “My Name is Red"
is a fictional account of Osman and his
workshop.
 Matrakci Nasuh was an another
famous miniature painter during the
reigns of Yavuz Sultan Selim and
Suleiman the Magnificent.
16th Century
By the end of 16th century and in
the beginning of 17th century,
especially in the reign of
Ahmed I, album paintings
became popular.
The most popular version of these
albums was Surname-i
Hümayun.
This was a special Ottoman
tradition.

Surname-i Hümayun
 Important events related to the palace were
depicted by painters and explained in the
form of poem in the special album called
Surnama-i Hümayun.
 Shortly, the Surname-i Hümayun was the
Imperial Festival Book.
 The Surname-i Hümayun included mainly
imperial weddings and circumcision
festivals.
 These albums were commissioned by the
Ottoman Imperial family, usually by the
Sultan at the time.
 The Surname depicts the festivities: when
the events took place, which includes in
1582 Circumcision Festival
 In 1582, Murat III, wanted to show the power of
the Ottoman empire to all people and decided
to show it through a festival.
 He ordered to prepare a circumcision festival for
his prince, Mehmed
 The preparation of the festival for Mehmed
started one year before.
 The famous Hippodrome in Istanbul was selected
as the place for having festival.
 All Istanbuls participated in the festival.
 There were exhibited the goods or products.
 Everyone ccontributed to the festival with
showing their performances.
 From time to time, musicians, dancers, sportmen
and all kind of demonstrators also performed in
Coffeehouse
Jesters
17th Century
In 17th century, miniature
painting was also popular among
the citizens of Istanbul.
Artists under the name of "Bazaar
Painters" who worked with other
artisans in the bazaars of
Istanbul (Carsi Ressamlari)

Life in a Caravansarai
Avrat
Pazarı
The
young
lover
with a
lute
serenadi
ng his
beloved,
who is
looking
from the
window
Tulip Era
 "TulipPeriod" occurred during the reign
of Ahmed III.
 Some art used the unique style called
"Ottoman Baroque" in this period.
 The characteristics of the period carried
the influences of French baroque.
 The most famous painter of this period
was Levni.
 He depicted the circumcision festival for
the sons of Ahmed III.
 His style of painting was influenced by
Western painting and very different
1720: A Circumcision
Festival
 Circumcision festivity in 1720 lasted 15 days.
 It took place in Okmeydanı.
 This festival was for the 4 princes of Sultan III
Ahmed, some sons of two high-ranking
Ottoman officials and thousands of children of
poor citizens of Istanbul.
 All the organizations of the Empire participated in
this huge event.
 The preparations were initiated months before.
 Artisans, theatre groups, clowns, musicians, and
citizens joined in the festivities.
 This festival was described in an album, called
Surname-i Vehbi
 The Miniatures of this album were depicted by
Levni and poems were written by Vehbi.
CARRIAGE
Princes Mustafa and
Mehmed, attended by a
crowded procession,
are driven in a carriage
to the Topkapi Palace to
be circumcised.
Surname-i Vehbi,

Topkapi Palace Museum

Library in Istanbul,
Collection Ahmed III,
MS 3593.
***
Okme
ydanı
being
made
ready
for
the
festivi
ties
*
The
arrival
of the
sultan
at
Okmey
danı:
Beginn
ing of
the
proces
sion
 The first
performances and
the banquet for
the Janissary
corps

 ***
**
The


banquet
for high-
ranking
governmen
t officials
***
Fireworks


displays at
Okmeydanı at
the end of the
first day

Performances by acrobats, singers, dancers
Concert, animal acts, and Egyptian
performers
The banquet for the sheiks and seyyids
The parade of the guildsmen: Farmers,
millers, and bread-makers
The parade of the guildsmen:
Candlemakers and barbers
Evening entertainment on the Golden Horn
The circumcision parade: The military band
The End of Festival: The sultan strews gold
coins
The End of Ottoman Miniature
Painting
After Levni, Westernization of
Ottoman culture continued.
With the introduction of printing
press and photography, no more
illuminated picture manuscripts
were produced.
From then on, wall paintings or oil
paintings on toils were popular.
So the miniature painting lost its
function.