Ottoman Painting Approach to Achievements of Iranian Art (A Comparative Study Between Persian & Ottoman Paintings, First Half of 16th Century)

The Ottoman government in second half of 15th century, following the conquest of Constantinople and the establishment of Ottoman empire center in Istanbul, to promote their level of art and culture in Topkapi-Saray, were adopted from Iran that was a pioneer in all fields of literature and science. They took advantages of unrests and political turmoils of Iran in the end of 15th and begining of 16th century. Invitation of the Iranian elites, ongoing attacks and plundering Iran's most important centers and forcing some Iranian artists to migrate to Istanbul, all have been effective to promote of cultural and artistic level in Istanbul. Subsequently, end of 15th century, the first Ottoman art workshops were established in Topkapi-Saray. At the beginning of the 16 century, the Harat workshop of Persian miniaturists was closed and its famous artists went to Tabriz. After the Ottoman emperor Sultan Selim briefly conquered Tabriz in 1514, taking many manuscripts from Harat-School and Tabriz-School back to Istanbul, to the Academy of Painting was founded in Topkapi-Saray for imported Persian artists. In this period, Ottoman court was totally dependent on flows of Iranian art. like Persian Miniature Schools, most attention was on the visualization of literary manuscripts. The activities of Iranian artists and their supervision of book illustration in Topkapi-Saray Art Workshops, caused transferring and expanding many of Persian art features in the new Ottoman Painting School. This research foundation, has been laid on the proof of the hypothesis, that Iranian Art in the first half of 16th century, has remained a significant effect on Ottoman Painting. For the purpose, studies were divided into two general sections: 1) Identify the factors influencing, 2) Comparative studies. The first section, is review and identify the various factors that have an important role in the transfer of artistic achievements of Iran to Ottoman. The factors such as the impact of Persian literature and culture on Anatolian from the age of Anatolian Seljuks, the trophies of war that led to the transfer of precious Iranian art works and artists to Istanbul and their activities in Topkapi-Saray Art-Workshops and the Immigration and asylum, some Iranian officials to the Ottoman court, who often had valuable libraries and outstanding artists, are the most important factors of all. The second part of this paper, deals to comparative study between the Persian & Ottoman Paintings, in first half of the 16 Century. To achieve acceptable results, several Ottoman illustrated manuscripts that has undoubtedly modeled of exquisite Persian illustrated books are introduced. To prove this adoptions and show structural similarity, examples of Ottoman and Persian miniatures were replaced together. Comparative study between two Persian and Ottoman paintings, in first half of 16th Century, shows the obvious similarities between two groups. The survey results are indicative of the fact that the Persian illustrated manuscripts as a template have been used in Istanbul Art Workshops. Istanbul-School, had taken some specifications of aesthetic achievements of Iran, but has not succeeded in all attributes of structural and aesthetic features of Persian Painting.