Factors that Shaped the Art of Turkish Painting in The Republic Period

Abstract

The roots of current Turkish painting can be traced back to the early 20th century. Until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, painting did not emerge as one of the most important and influential art forms in Turkish culture. However, as a result of the historical processes spanning from the late period of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the paradigm shift brought about by the Republic facilitated the formation and establishment of a unique art form known as Western style painting in the Turkish nation. The transformation from subjects of a monarchy to citizens of a nation, and from subjects to individual identities, which took place during the Republic era, enabled Turkish painting to acquire a national character through the influence of state patronage and the power of reforms. Although the Westernization movement and educational reforms that began during the Ottoman period led to a new formal direction influenced by the forms of the Western worldview, as well as the unique content of the Ottoman state’s worldview, it was during the Republic era that Turkish painting found its characteristic forms and expressions. While the formal patterns of painting were influenced by Western styles of the time, the subject matter and content reflected the intellectual and revolutionary world of modern Turkish society, allowing for the emergence of a distinctive form of painting art under these circumstances.