Sea Enthusiasm
A collection of stunning seascape paintings reveals the artistic response to Istanbul's maritime life and the drama of the open sea.
Marmara'da Lodos/South-Western Wind in Marmara by Cevat ErkulTürkiye İş Bankası Resim Heykel Müzesi
Maritime Art's Rise
Maritime paintings, which began toward the end of the 19th century, were bolstered in the 20th century by numerous painters who were also passionate about the sea, especially among the cadets of the Military and Naval Schools.
Reflecting the many aspects of life under the influence of the sea and the infinite variations of the latter's states, constituted the favourite subjects of painters who had extensive knowledge about the sea as well as war and civilian ships.
Deniz Peyzajı/Sea Landscape (1916) by İsmail Hakkı BahriyeliTürkiye İş Bankası Resim Heykel Müzesi
İsmail Hakkı Bahriyeli
The seascape painting signed "İ.H.1916" in the collection depicts a large, tall-masted ship struggling to advance in a stormy sea, capturing its structural details and naturally reflecting the artist's knowledge of the subject.
İstanbul Limanı/Istanbul Port (1915) by Diyarbakırlı TahsinTürkiye İş Bankası Resim Heykel Müzesi
Diyarbakırlı Tahsin - İstanbul Harbor
The Istanbul Harbor painting in the Collection, signed "Tahsin 1331 (1915)" in old script, centers on a large passenger ship in the open sea of Istanbul Harbor; most likely a foreign ship built during World War I.
The smoke, an integral part of steamships and a consistent stylistic feature of the artist, adds movement to the canvas with a flawless balance. Though the depiction of Istanbul Harbor in the background portrayed with just a few brush strokes, it conveys the presence of numerous boats.
With its harbour its many ships and frequent storms Istanbul a city that is one with the sea has always provided those artists with picturesque material for such undertakings.
Deniz/Sea by Mıgırdıç CivanyanTürkiye İş Bankası Resim Heykel Müzesi
Mıgırdiç Civanyan - Sea
The undated landscape painting, titled Sea, signed "Givanian" and included in the Collection, suggests inspiration from Ayvazovski's style and depicts a tragedy at the sea during a storm.
The painting emphasizes the powerlessnes of humans against the sea, and in terms of subject matter, it appears to be inspired by Theodore Gericault's (1791-1824) 1819 painting, The Raft of the Medusa, which is one of the leading examples of Romanticisim in painting.
Such artists as Diyarbakırlı Tahsin, who not only contemplated every aspect and state which the sea assumed but also scrutinized all types of vessels; the naval officer İsmail Hakkı, whose efforts concentrated on the depiction of ships struggling among the fierce waves of the open sea; Cevat Göktengiz, who meticulously reflected warships braving the sea in all their details; Migirdiç Civanyan, who successfully summoned up dark and mysterious seascapes on his canvas, such as the despair felt by the passengers of a rescue boat rocked by the churning waters of a stormy sea; and Şevket Dağ, whose depiction of a freighter ship leaving the harbour perfectly conveyed the splendour of Istanbul's unique and glorious atmosphere.
Savaş Gemileri/Battleships (1937) by Cevat Göktengiz (Üsküdarlı)Türkiye İş Bankası Resim Heykel Müzesi
Cevat Göktengiz (Cevat From Üsküdar) - Warships
The painting titled Warships, with the signature "Cevat 937" in the Collection, depicts two fast destroyers armed with guns sailing on stormy open seas.
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