Hâfiz Osman
Hâfiz Osman | |
---|---|
hilye by Hâfiz Osman. | |
Born | 1642 |
Died | 1698 (aged 55–56) Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
Known for | Islamic calligraphy |
Movement | Thuluth and Naskh |
Hâfiz Osman (
History
Born Osman Den Ali, in Istanbul, he was of Dervish origin and worked under the name of Hâfiz Osman.[1] His father was a muezzin at the Khassèki mosque, a position which afforded he and his family great protection.[2]
He became an accomplished calligrapher and was a tutor to the sultans Ahmed II, Mustafa II and Ahmed III,[3] and was held in high esteem by the sultan Mustafa II, who, according to legend often watched him work and held his inkwell as he wrote.[4]
He received his formal training with
Osman revived some of the six scripts that had fallen into disuse. These scripts underwent a process of purification and became known as "Hâfiz Osman's style". The younger generation of calligraphers preferred this style, and it gradually replaced Hamdullah's style.[8]
Osman was not only a fine calligrapher, but was also a master of layout. He raised text design to new heights, often incorporating different styles of calligraphy on the same page. His masterpiece is the Ottoman hilye; a design template that includes eight distinct elements arranged aesthetically to provide for contemplative reflection and devotion. The elements are: Ba makan (prelude); Gobek (belly); Hilal (crescent); Ko'eler (corners); Ayak (verse); Etek (foot); Koltukar (alleys) and Pervaz (frame). His hilye became the standard layout in the Ottoman world.[9]
A hilye is a calligraphic panel containing a hadith-based text describing the Prophet Muhammad's physical appearance and attributes. Hâfiz Osman incorporated such texts, which had been popular for some time, in a formal design that soon became standard for this art form. Hilye came to be used as wall decorations or surface adornments, fulfilling much the same function as figurative paintings in other religious traditions. While containing a concrete and artistically appealing description of Prophet's appearance, they complied with the strictures against figurative depictions of the Prophet, leaving his appearance to the viewer's imagination.[10]
Hâfiz Osman also reinvigorated Hamdullah's tradition, in particular the re-introduction of a number of scripts that had fallen into disuse. Among his surviving works are copies of the
He gave lessons to the poor on Sundays and lessons to the wealthy on Wednesdays.[13] Throughout his lifetime, he trained a large number of calligraphers, of whom the finest was Yedikuleli Seyyid 'Abdullah Efendi.[14]
Works
Surviving examples of his work can be found in the Topkapi Collection.[15]
See also
References
- ^ "Journal of Ottoman Calligraphy :: OSMAN EFFENDI: "Hafiz Osman" (1642 - 1698) :: April :: 2006". Archived from the original on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ^ Huart, C., Les Calligraphes et les Miniaturistes de l'Orient Musulman 1972, p. 148 Digital copy (in French)
- ^ ibn Aiyyoub, Yusuf (7 May 2007). "Hafiz Osman (b Istanbul, 1642; d Istanbul, 1698)".
- ^ Huart, C., Les Calligraphes et les Miniaturistes de l'Orient Musulman 1972, p. 148 Digital copy
- ISBN 978-975-8362-45-5
- ^ Kemal Çiçek, Ercüment Kuran, Nejat Göyünç, İlber Ortaylı, The Great Ottoman-Turkish Civilisation, Volume 3, Yeni Türkiye, 2000, n.p.
- ^ Osborn, J.R., Letters of Light: Arabic Script in Calligraphy, Print, and Digital Design, Harvard University Press, 2017, [E-book edition], n.p.
- ^ M. Ugur Derman, "The Art of Calligraphy in the Ottoman Regime, in: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (ed.), History of Ottoman State and Civilisation, II, Istanbul 2003, pp 645-652
- ^ Osborn, J.R., Letters of Light: Arabic Script in Calligraphy, Print, and Digital Design, Harvard University Press, 2017, [E-book edition], n.p.
- ISBN 978-0-19-974746-7. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ "CalligraphyQalam.com - Arabic, Ottoman & Persian Calligraphy - Hafiz Osman". calligraphyqalam.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ^ Lyons, Martyn. Books: A Living History. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011. p.48
- ^ Huart, C., Les Calligraphes et les Miniaturistes de l'Orient Musulman 1972, p. 148 Digital copy
- ^ Uğur Derman, M., Letters in Gold: Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakıp Sabancı Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998 , p. 86
- ^ The Diez Albums: Contexts and Contents, BRILL, c. 2016, p.136
External links
Media related to Hafiz Osman at Wikimedia Commons