Page 34 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
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and  the  newly  developed  saz scrolls or  the  sprays of natural-  of  the  figures,  and  certain  features such  as European  types of
     istic  flowers.  The  same  combination  of decorative  elements  costumes,  architecture,  and  sailing vessels, as well  as the mar-
     appears  in  the  illuminations of religious texts, including pil-  itime  atlas and  topographic  genres,  were  developed  by  these
     grimage  documents  and  guides (see 22  and  23),  which  were  artists.  On  the  other  hand  a number  of these  features existed
     illustrated  with  topographic  renderings  of the  monuments  as early  as the  1490s  and  many  were  formulated by non-nak-
     and  sites  based  on  eyewitness  accounts.  The nakka§hane  also  ka§hane  artists,  such  as  Piri Reis, Nasuh,  and Nigari.
     refurbished  the  texts of the  esteemed  calligraphers of the  past,  The  fusion  of the  tremendous  energy of the  imperial paint-
     such  as  Yakut  and  Abdullah  Sayrafi  (see 13 and  14), carefully  ing  studio with  the  traditions practiced by its members  and
     preserving  the  scripts and  pasting them  on  folios  embellished  outside  artists resulted  in  the  creation  of the  most characteris-
     with  contemporary  decorative  themes.                   tic  Ottoman  genre,  that  of illustrated histories (see 37  and
       It  is the  paintings in  the  literary manuscripts produced  be-  41-43).  This genre,  which  glorified  the  reign  of the sultans,
     tween  the  1520s  and  1550s that  best  reflect  the  heteroge-  can  be  observed  in  some  manuscripts produced  for  other
     neous  or  eclectic nature  of the  nakka§hane,  revealing both  lo-  Turkic dynasties,  including the  Timurids and  the Mughals,
     cal  and  foreign influences. Although a  number  of works  but  its persistence  through  the  centuries  with  such  a volumi-
     show  a  conglomeration  of several  traditions,  three  styles of  nous production was unique to the  Ottoman  Empire.
     painting  can  be  identified. The first reveals the  impact of the  The  two  major  ingredients  of illustrated histories,  docu-
     late-fifteenth-century  Timurid  school  of Herat, which  appears  mentation  of the  settings  and  portrayal  of historical  person-
     in  unadulterated  form in  several volumes  (see 31),  while  in  ages,  were definitely influenced by the  paintings of three  men
     others  it is blended  with  the  style associated  with  the Akko-  who  worked  outside  the  nakka§hane. The topographic  and
     yunlu  court  of Tabriz.  Some  of the  paintings produced  in  the  maritime  scenes  of Piri Reis (see 35  and  36)  and  Nasuh (see
     Istanbul nakka^hane  are  indistinguishable from  those  made  in  38-40)  are not  mere  maps,  but  exquisitely rendered  paint-
     the  Safavid  capital of Tabriz (see 32),  since both  relied  heav-  ings with  great  artistic merit.  Inspired  to  some  extent  by con-
     ily  on  the  Timurid and  Akkoyunlu  schools  during their for-  temporary  European  examples,  their  works  established  the
     mative  years  in  the  early  decades  of the  sixteenth  century.  concept of depicting  geographical  and  architectural  settings. Ni-
       The  second  style reflects  a  newly  developed  local tradition,  gari's  interest  in  portraying  the  physical and  at times  even  the
     which  was  also influenced by the  figure  types and  composi-  psychological  characteristics  of  his  subjects  (figs.  10 and  11)
     tional  schemes  established in Timurid Herat. Characterized by  also  influenced  the  nakkachane artists. Although  Ottoman
     a  decorative  approach  and  limited pictorial cycle, it domi-  portraiture  was  initiated  during  the  reign  of Mehmed  II,  who
     nated  the  literary manuscripts until the  1550s  (see  28  and  invited  such  Italian  artists as  Gentile Bellini and  Costanza da
     29).  Its disappearance  coincided  with  the  rise of illustrated  Ferrara  to  his  court,  the  impact  of these  Europeans  was  short-
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     histories,  which  overshadowed  the  production  of literary texts  lived  and  negligible.  Nigari's portraits,  on  the  other  hand,
     after  the  middle  of the  sixteenth  century,  showing  a  change  were  the  product  of a  new  local tradition. The nakka§hane
     in  taste  and  interest.                                 artists  absorbed  these elements and  employed  them  in  their
       The third  style, found  in  literary manuscripts,  developed  pictorial narratives  of historical works,  which  became  the  ma-
     from  within  the  nakka§hane.  Inspired  by the  influx  of out-  jor  preoccupation  of the  studio  after  the  1550s.
     siders,  it nevertheless  retained  its own  identity and  shows  an  A  second  and  equally significant  indigenous  tradition is
     acute  awareness  of local  figures  and  settings, incorporating  found  in  tinted  drawings incorporated  into  albums. The evo-
     them  into  the  scenes  (see 33  and  34). This type of localiza-  lution  of the  Ottoman  saz style is clearly observed  in  the rep-
     tion  can  also be  observed  in  the  manuscripts  produced  in  the  resentations  of elaborately  intertwining  flora,  engulfing fan-
     last Mamluk  court  in  which  classical texts were illustrated  tastic creatures  such  as dragons  and  peris  (see 45-49). The
     with  native ceremonial  settings and  architectural features.  blossoms  and  leaves  abstracted  from  these  drawings  came  to
       One  foreign tradition  that  seems to  have  been  lost  within  characterize  the  decorative  vocabulary  of the  age. The mysti-
     the  nakkachane  is that  of eastern  Europe. According to  the  cal  and  shamanistic  concept  of an  enchanted  forest  inhabited
     payroll  registers, there  were  a  substantial number  of Bosnians  by  spirits hidden  among  the  rocks and  trees  was  of central
     and  several  Hungarians, Austrians, Moldavians, and Albani-  Asian  origin  and  frequently represented  in  fifteenth-century
     ans.  Since the  styles of painting  practiced  in  these  regions  are  drawings.  It continued  to  be popular  in the  Timurid  and
     not  well-known,  the  contributions  of these  artists are  not  as  Akkoyunlu  courts  and  was  passed  on  to the  Ottoman  and
     clearly  visible as  those  of the  painters from  Herat and  Tabriz.  Safavid  artists. The  Ottomans,  however,  transformed  it into  a
     Ottoman  painting was  basically an  extension  of the Islamic  unique  theme,  which  was  employed  in  such  diverse tech-
     tradition,  and  European  elements  brought  into the  nakka§-  niques  as stone  carving  and  weaving.
     hane were  soon  obscured  and  absorbed.  One could  hypothe-  The  decorative  vocabulary of the  nakka§hane was  ex-
     size that  the  illusionistic settings with  fields  and  cities placed  tremely  rich  and  diversified. In  addition to the  saz style the
     in  the  background,  the  modeling  and  drapery  used  with  some  artists  employed  both  the  traditional floral scrolls, rumis,  and

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