The Tortoise Trainer (1906) by Osman Hamdi BeyPera Museum
Osman Hamdi Bey, The Tortoise Trainer, 1906
The painting was made by Osman Hamdi Bey at a time of great social and political turmoil in the Ottoman Empire, the absurd task and outdated fashions reflected the popular belief that the empire was losing its way in the world.
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The Tortoise Trainer is held at the Pera Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, which specialises in 19th century paintings by European and Ottoman-Turkish artists.
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The museum also holds the Anatolian Weights and Measures Collection, comprising hundreds of artefacts representing the artistic, scientific, and commercial innovations of the region.
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Now we're on the right floor, where is The Tortoise Trainer? It can't have gone far… Click and drag to explore the galleries, and keep an eye out for the painting!
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Here it is! Osman Hamdi Bey's The Tortoise Trainer
The Tortoise Trainer (1906) by Osman Hamdi BeyPera Museum
Osman Hamdi Bey, The Tortoise Trainer, 1906
The painting depicts an old man, dressed in the style of a dervish, carrying a ney flute and nakkare drum. He watches his tortoises with calm contemplation, and with the drum slung on his back he even resembles them.
This unusual painting wasn't widely understood or exhibited at the time, but came to be seen as a potent satire after the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, which saw the end of the old Sultan's rule.
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Thanks for joining the scavenger hunt!
While you're here, why not take a look around the rest of the Pera Museum. Don't miss the paintings by Antoine de Favray and Jules Joseph Lefebvre.
