20. Yüzyıldan Günümüze Türkiye Sanat Tarihinde Oryantalizm Çalışmaları
Orientalism Studies in Turkish Art History from the 20th Century to the Present

Summary/Abstract: This study aims to evaluate the equivalent of orientalism in art history, which is one of the elements that shape Turkish culture, art, visual perception, and perception of the outside world. Orientalism is one of the main determinants of West-East relations throughout the entire modern period, from the 19th century to the last quarter of the 20th century. Although the tools and methods have changed, this phenomenon continues its existence and effect today. Although the political and economic dimension seems to be in the foreground, the construction of "hegemony" in the perception of societies, beliefs, cultures, and people, and therefore in actual relations, in the civil sphere, takes place with culture and art before states and state institutions. The birth and development of orientalism through artistic production from painting to literature, travel books, music to the theater is an indication of this. Moreover, the concept of orientalism was born in the early 19th century as the name of "eastern" paintings by French and English artists. In this process, the West-East relationship, and hence the orientalist practice, focuses heavily on the Ottoman and Ottoman geography. Osman Hamdi Bey, the pioneer of fine arts education and museology in the Ottoman Empire, was brought up as an artist, educator, and cultural manager in an orientalist style. Despite all this, studies of orientalism in the field of art history in Turkey are quite late; It only emerged at the end of the 20th century. Orientalism and Turkey (1989) by Semra Germaner – Zeynep Inankur is the first work in the book volume. In the past 30 years, the number of academic books on the subject is still around 10. Studies such as academic research, theses, publications, symposiums, conferences, and panels gained intensity in the 2000s, accompanied by orientalism-themed exhibitions. The number of scientific symposiums and panels on the subject, which were organized in the 2000s, is also below 10. These meetings were mostly held in conjunction with large collection exhibitions of museums and other art institutions. However, apart from specific phenomena such as artist, work, and exhibition studies, no collective research has been conducted on orientalism in Turkish art historiography and studies. Our study is a candidate to be the first step towards quantitative and qualitative critical inventory in this area. Tracing orientalism in the plastic arts of our country (painting, architecture, sculpture, calligraphy, illumination, miniature) in the Republican era will bring up the theoretical discussion of the relationship between orientalism and art history. Scanning written, visual and digital resources and archives covering events such as exhibitions, conferences, symposiums, academic research, thesis, and publications reveals a remarkable fact: Orientalism, one of the main long-term determinants of culture and art in Turkey, has been the subject of art history studies, painting market, the development of art collecting, the emergence of private museums, the spread of international auctions and exhibitions.

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