Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey was an Ottoman administrator, intellectual, art expert, archeologist, and a prominent and pioneering painter. He is regarded as an Orientalist painter, but his perception of the East is remarkably different from his Western counterparts. The Western Orientalists emphasized female sexuality. In Osman Hamdi Bey’s paintings, the female figures are often conscious of the period of Westernization in the Ottoman Empire, as well as their individual identities and talents, and are thus open to learning and self-development. In a number of Osman Hamdi Bey’s works, the Ottoman woman is portrayed while playing an instrument, reading, or arranging the flowers in her house and she always appears fully clothed. In this painting, which incorporates architectural elements of the Bursa Green Mosque, apart from musical instruments like the tanbur (lute) and the tambourine, Ottoman decorative elements such as rugs, woodwork, stone carving, and tiles complement the artist’s unique approach to the female identity.
Have a great Monday everyone!
P.S. Here you will find everything you need to know about Orientalism in art!