Süleyman Seyyid

Süleyman Seyyid (Self-portrait?; date unknown)Süleyman Seyyid Bey (1842, Istanbul - 1913, Istanbul) was a painter and art teacher from the Ottoman Empire. He is primarily known for his still-lifes. He taught art in military schools for 36 years and is considered to be a member of the first generation of modern Turkish painters in the Ottoman Empire.

Early life Süleyman Seyyid was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1842 to a noble Anatolian family. His father was Haci Ismail Efendi, one of the notables of Anatolian Maltepesi. His grandfather, after whom he was named, was a well-known master craftsman who specialized in mother-of-pearl inlays. Süleyman Seyyid lived a pious lifestyle, valuing modesty and refuting material rewards and possessions.

As a child, Süleyman Seyyid used the name Esseyid Suleiman. However, after completing his primary education and later studies at the Turkish Military Academy, he went by Seyyid. At school, his charcoal sketches and watercolor paintings caught the attention of one of his teachers, Giovanni Schranz (1794-1882), a Maltese painter who was visiting Istanbul at the time. Schranz encouraged Seyyid to pursue art as a career path.

Career After graduating from the Turkish Military Academy as a lieutenant in 1862, Süleyman Seyyid traveled to Paris to attend a special school established for Turkish students called the Ottoman School in Paris. After his time at that school, he later studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, France in the studios of Alexandre Cabanel for about 8 years.

After working in Rome for about a year, he returned to Istanbul in 1871 to paint and to bring the influence of his Parisian teachers to Turkey.

Süleyman Seyyid became an art teacher at both the military and medical academies with hopes to instill some more knowledge of the arts among the working professionals. As he was one of the first Ottoman Turkish artists to be educated in Paris, Süleyman Seyyid is credited with bringing Western-style painting and its techniques to the Ottoman Empire. Turkish art historians have credited such artists as bringing the “true” Western practices learned directly at the Parisian academies, as opposed to past imitations. It is a masterpiece among the many works of Süleyman Seyyid. His artistic choices to emphasize objects such as fruit and flowers, which were already common among Ottoman tile and fabric traditions, in conjunction with his spatial and lighting techniques from Western painting traditions caused his work to stand out. It stood out in a way that suggested a political viewpoint putting emphasis on positivism, but also felt grounded in traditional Ottoman traditions.