PROMINENT FEMALE ARTISTS BETWEEN THE TANZIMAT ERA AND THE REPUBLICAN TURKEY

Abstract

The social position of woman has been considered as a political and cultural issue with in the process of modernization attempts under the Turkish Enlightenmentera which coversthelate Ottoman period and the Republicanera. This issue has always been in close relation with the way of living of Turkish woman. The Turkish girls who have received training wanted to be included to the national fractions and they wanted to have a spot in thesocial life. Turkish girls wanted to have a spot in musicand in particular, panting, and they were encouraged by their families; and they were consciousaboutreceiving art education. Within this context, we observe that the female identity constructed with Republic an modernization in Turkey is considered as equivalent with female artist identity. History of Turkish painting has its beginning with Muslim Turkish women involved in it, only after the beginning of 20th century. On the otherhand, at the Istanbul exhibition saloons in the end of 19th century minority women Works have been exhibited. Within this process, we observe that the names of Turkish women artists have become more featured after the modernization era. Therefore, we can say that the identity of female artists were established with in the social structure determined by historical conditions. This study aims to elaboratethesocial and cultural transformation of Turkey by focusing on the works of female artists; therefore trying to provide a new and alternative perspective forthesocio-cultural history of Turkey by putting the pioneering and critical position of female artists into the center in modern and contemporary art.