Åžeker Ahmed Pasha

" Şeker " Ahmed Pasha (* 1841 in Istanbul, † May 5, 1907 ) was an Ottoman painter and soldier. His real name was Ahmed Ali, his nickname " Şeker " means " sugar ".

Life

Ahmet Pasha entered the military academy in 1855, where he studied medicine. There his interest in painting was awakened. He caught the attention of the Sultan, who sent him in 1863 to study in Paris. He first studied under Gustave Boulanger and then under Jean Léon Gérôme at the Art Academy. He spent seven years in Paris and another year in Rome, before he returned to the Ottoman Empire.

In Istanbul, worked as a teacher. In 1871 he organized his first exhibition there. Subsequently, he was promoted in the military rank and was appointed in 1890 to lieutenant general. He was appointed to the court in charge of the purchase of European paintings for the palace. In 1896 he was master of ceremonies at the court.

On May 5, 1907, he died of a heart attack in Istanbul.

Importance

Ahmet Pasha was a pioneer of oil painting in the Ottoman Empire. He painted nature motifs such as forests, fruits, flowers and animals. His life and his work reflects the experience of the Ottoman elite in the aftermath of the Tanzimat reforms, as they approached the western culture. Ahmed Pasha compositions are based on the European painting, but he never lost the appeal of oriental art.