VII. ULUSLARARASI TÜRK SANATI, TARİHİ ve FOLKLORU KONGRESİ/SANAT ETKİNLİKLERİ
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TURKISH CARPETS IN THE TABLES OF Jean-Leon GEROME
(
Jean-Leon GEROME’nin TABLOLARINDA TÜRK HALILARI)
Ahmet AYTAÇ
ABSTRACKT
Art is the imagination. Turkish textiles are also thousands of years old. It
has also been influential on foreign art works. We understand these influences
from the paintings of Orientalist painters.
Turkish carpets XV. He was well known in Europe for centuries. At that
time it was important to have a Turkish carpet in Europe.
The painter Gerome was born in 1824. He is an important orientalist
painter. The declaration will mention the Turkish carvings depicted in the tables of
Gerome.
Key words: Carpet, textile, art, orientalist, painter.
INTRODUCTION
In the broadest sense, art is the expression of imagination. Central Asian
Turkish hand-made carpets, which are also of importance artistically, are important
products all over the world with their symbolic language. Turkish hand-made
carpets, which have functioned as an important composition element from time to
time in foreign works of art throughout the history, have provided important
contributions to works of art from this aspect and they have had direct effects on
their values.
Turkish hand-made carpets, which have also provided European works of
arts with visual richness, contributed to works of art from this aspect as well.
Ottoman Empire life style has always been a focus of interest for western
travellers.
Orientalism, which developed as a branch of science in the 10
th
century,
refers to the study of religions, languages, cultures and history of western people
1
.
Architectural details, life styles, clothing and toilet habits of people and the objects
they use are the areas of interest for orientalism. These tendencies are embodied
through works of art
2
. The concept of orientalism is derived from the Latin word
oriens, and the word orient from western languages (where the sun rises).
Turkish hand-made carpets, which are also reflected in the paintings by
orientalist artists, have an important place in the art of painting. Many famous
painters, who produced the important works of art in the world, couldn’t be
indifferent to Turkish art of weaving, and made a habit of reflecting Turkish hand-
made carpets, which were different and full of symbolic language, on their works,
which even became a rule from time to time
3
.
Selcuk University Research Center for Turkish Handicrafts, Konya.
1
MIHÇIOĞLU, M., Oryantalizmi Aşmak, İstanbul, Bağlam Yayıncılık, 2001, s. 132.
2
ÜŞENMEZ, M. S., (2013). “Türk Figüratif Resminden Yansıyan Giysi Görünümleri (1880-
1940)”,
9-11 Ekim I. Ulusal Sanat Tasarım Sempozyumu ve Sergisi, Konya, s. 447.
3
AYTAÇ, Ahmet ve ark., Yabancı Ressamların Tablolarında Tasvirlenen Türk Halıları,
Konya, 2006, s. 18.
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Letting other do what you can’t is a measure of thinking related to the level
of culture where civilized societies want to reach
4
. Turkish weaver of the steppes,
who had a nomadic (summer pasture-winter quarters) life style, could reflect their
artistic tendencies from different perspective than the artists of settled civilizations
5
.
While some nations produced their own handicrafts, those who couldn’t, showed
their admirations and interests by reflecting these in their own works of other fields.
Empty walls of Protestant, Lutheran and Calvinist churches in Hungary
were decorated with Turkish carpets. Covering catafalque with a Turkish carpet
during funerals was a tradition
6
. After 15
th
century, there was a great demand for
Turkish carpets in the Balkans and Europe. For instance, it is known that people,
who couldn’t afford buying Turkish carpets in Italy, tried to have this privilege
through renting. It was such important that a Turkish carpet hanging down the
balcony was the symbol of wealth and nobility
7
.
Jean-Leon GEROME
Photo: 1.
Painter, sculptor and teacher Gerome, who lived between May 11, 1824
and January 10, 1904, painted in historical and orientalist style. He was one of the
most important artists of orientalist movement. He sculpted during the last 25 years
of his life. He was the teacher of many famous painters
8
.
His Paintings with Turkish Carpet Representation
Artist’s sketches about carpet shops, carpet sellers he visited when he
travelled the east and his other impressions during orientalism movement were the
reflections of what had been left on his mind when he was back home in France.
4
UĞURLU, Aydın, “Orta Çağ Anadolu Dokuma Sanatı”, İlgi Dergisi, S:48, İstanbul, 1987.
5
DİYARBEKİRLİ, Nejat, “Türk Sanatının Kaynaklarına Doğru”, Türk Sanat Tarihi Araştırma
ve İncelemeleri, İstanbul, 1969, s. 142.
6
BATARI, Frenc, “Macaristan Uygulamalı Sanatlar Müzesi’ndeki Türk Halıları”, Türkeli
Dergisi, Ankara, 2004, s. 74–79.
7
ROSAMOND, E. Mack, Doğu Malı Batı Sanatı, İstanbul, 2005, s. 126-156, (Çeviren: Ali
Özdemir).
8
https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-L%C3%A9on_G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me.03.04.2017,11.05.