Early history There is a relative lack of information about the book-making centers in the 15th century Ottoman Empire, but there is a record in the Ottoman Archives from 1525 that indicates a
nakkaşhane (studio) in Istanbul. It references a complex hierarchical structure, which indicates that the studio had existed for likely 50 years before this record was written. But there is no distinct evidence of illustration in the Ottoman Empire prior to the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. This is partially due to
Selim I's conquest of Safavid
Tabriz in 1514, in which he captured many manuscripts and brought them back to
Istanbul, allowing the artists there to expand their iconographical and stylistic influence. There were also some artists themselves moving from Tabriz and other cities in Iran to the Ottoman Empire. The
Nakkashane-i Irani (the Persian Academy of Painting) was founded in Topkapı Palace for imported Persian artists. The artists of these two painting academies formed two different schools of painting: The artists in
Nakkashane-i Rum were specialized in documentary books, like the
Shehinshahname, showing the public, and to some extent the private, lives of rulers, their portraits and historical events; Shemaili Ali Osman—portraits of rulers;
Surname—pictures depicting weddings and especially circumcision festivities;
Shecaatname-wars commanded by pashas. The artists in
Nakkashanei-i Irani specialized in traditional Persian poetic works, like the
Shahnameh, the
Khamsa of Nizami, containing
Layla and Majnun and the
Iskendername or
Romance of Alexander,
Humayunname, animal fables, and anthologies. There were also scientific books on botany and animals, alchemy, cosmography, and medicine; technical books; love letters; books about astrology; and dream reading . These early studios relied on the commissions of the wealthy and powerful, including governors, and even emperors. Massumeh Farhad argues that Mehmed II commissioned works in attempts to achieve immortality as influenced by extensive contact with the Italians. In 1527 there were 29 miniaturists in the Ottoman Court Archives. After the Mongols sacked the city it stopped being a center of illustrated book production, but it re-emerged as such in 1590 and there was a greater focus on everyday activities than in other locations. Begüm Özden Firat suggests a shift away from imperial commission after the 18th century in his book "Encounters with the Ottoman Miniature". Artisans, theatre groups, clowns, musicians, trapeze dancers, and citizens joined in the festivities .
Changing Function After Levni, Westernization of Ottoman culture continued, and with the introduction of printing press and later photography, fewer illustrated were produced. From then on, wall paintings or oil paintings on cloth were popular . The miniature painting's function thus changed.
Contemporary Turkish miniature After a period of crisis in the beginning of the 20th century, miniature painting was accepted as a decorative art by the intellectuals of the newly founded
Turkish Republic, and in 1936, a division called Turkish Decorative Arts was established in the
Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul, which included miniature painting together with the other Ottoman book arts. The historian and author Süheyl Ünver educated many artists following the tradition of Ottoman book arts . Contemporary miniature artists include Ömer Faruk Atabek, Sahin Inaloz, Cahide Keskiner, Gülbün Mesara, Nur Nevin Akyazıcı,
Ahmet Yakupoğlu,
Nusret Çolpan, Orhan Dağlı, and many others from the new generation. Contemporary artists usually do not consider miniature painting as merely a decorative art but as a fine art form. Different from the traditional masters of the past, they work individually and sign their works. Also, their works are not illustrating books, as was the case with the original Ottoman miniatures, but are exhibited in fine art galleries . ==Gallery==