Still Life with Flowers

Born in Üsküdar, Istanbul, Şeker Ahmed Paşa was a leading member of the military painters group. He commenced his studies in 1855 at the Medical College, but in 1856 left to enrol at the Military Academy. While still a student there he worked as an assistant art teacher. In 1864 Sultan Abdülaziz awarded him a scholarship to study art in Paris. In 1870 he studied under the painters Gustave Boulanger and Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904). His paintings were exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1869 and 1870. In 1871 he returned to Istanbul, where he was appointed to teach at the Sultanahmet School of Art, and also taught at various military schools. He rose to the rank of captain and began to teach art at the Medical College. In 1873 he organised Turkey's first painting exhibition at Sultanahmet School of Art, and in 1875 organised the second at Darülfünun (Istanbul University). He assisted Osman Hamdi Bey in founding the Royal School of Fine Arts. In 1890 he was appointed as court painter, and in 1895 as master of ceremonies for foreign guests received at the palace. He played a major role in building the palace art collection.

Şeker Ahmed Paşa was one of the military painters, a group of artists who trained at 19th century Ottoman military schools, where the teaching followed western methods. These artists can be regarded as the initiators of western-style painting in Ottoman Turkey in the nineteenth century. They often preferred to paint landscapes and still lifes because of a traditional reluctance to depict human figures in Ottoman art.

Şeker Ahmed Paşa also served as court painter, a position created during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid (r. 1839-1861) and continuing until the end of the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (r. 1876-1909). The court painters were selected by the sultan and as well as painting often served in various different capacities at the palace, such as art instructors, head of palace protocol and/or in charge of relations with foreign painters and guests.