Abstract:

The female figure has been one of the most important topics throughout the history of art, and the place of the woman in society and social processes have played a decisive role in the formation of the female image. In the Turkish art, the female figure has experienced great changes with the time. In Çatalhöyük, one of the oldest civilizations of Anadolu, the female image is depicted as the Mother Goddess. In the Ottoman era, women's figures were often associated with palace life and harem scenes. In these works, women are presented as the wives or carriers of the princes. In the art of the Republic, the image of the woman was addressed with a more modern understanding. The appearance of women as strong and free individuals has referred to the struggle for women’s rights and equality. Among the artists who dealt with the female image in Turkish painting are important names such as Osman Hamdi Bey, Neşet Günal, Nuri Iyem, Ibrahim Çallı, Mihri Müşfik, Turgut Zaim, Şükran Moral. The works of these artists, addressing the female figure from different points of view, give a variety of messages about the place of the woman in social life. This work is important to understand the transformation of the female image in the works of art and the place of women in the world of art, by giving examples of the works of important Turkish painters. This study, using historical research techniques, revealed how female painting reflected the value of time and culture in Turkish art.

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