Nakkaş Osman

Lore & Background

Nakkaş Osman, also referred to as Osman the Miniaturist, served as the chief miniaturist for the Ottoman Empire in the latter half of the sixteenth century. Though the exact dates of his birth and death are not well recorded, his known works were produced primarily during the last quarter of that century. His earliest surviving illustrations date from between 1560 and 1570, created for a Turkish translation of the Persian epic *Shahnama* by Ferdowsi. He was the principal illustrator for several official histories authored by Seyyid Lokman during the reign of Murad III, including the *Zafername* (Book of Victories), the *Şahname-ı Selim Han* (Book of Kings of Selim Khan), the *Semailname* (Book of Characteristics), and the *Şehinşahname* (Book of King of Kings). In 1582 he contributed to the astrological *Book of Felicity*, and around 1585 he worked on the *Siyer-i Nebi*, an epic about the life of Muhammad composed around 1388. His illustrative style is described as plain yet perceptive, marked by careful attention to minute detail and a realistic depiction of events. Osman’s portraits convey more emotion than those of earlier court artists; for instance, in the tale of Rostam and Sohrab, earlier renditions depicted peripheral figures as distant and still, while Osman’s version shows Sohrab’s groom collapsing with grief and shock at witnessing Rostam kill his own son. His work significantly influenced the next generation of Ottoman court painters, with major works of that era deriving from his style.

Reader's Guide

Nakkaş Osman served as the chief miniaturist for the Ottoman Empire in the latter part of the sixteenth century, with most of his known works produced in the final quarter of that century. The earliest surviving illustrations attributed to him were created between 1560 and 1570 for a Turkish version of the Persian epic *Shahnama*. He was the primary illustrator for several official histories written by the court historian Seyyid Lokman during the reign of Murad III, including the *Zafername*, the *Şahname-ı Selim Han*, the *Semailname*, and the *Şehinşahname*. In 1582, he contributed to the astrological *Book of Felicity*, and around 1585 he worked on the *Siyer-i Nebi*, a biography of the Prophet Muhammad composed around 1388. His style is described as plain yet perceptive, marked by careful attention to minute detail and a realistic depiction of events. Osman’s portraits convey more emotion than those of earlier court artists. In the traditional rendering of the story of Rostam and Sohrab, peripheral characters appeared distant and expressionless; in Osman’s version, Sohrab’s groom is shown collapsing with grief and shock at the tragic event. His approach influenced the next generation of Ottoman court painters, and the major works of that period derived from his style. The novelist Orhan Pamuk, in his work *My Name Is Red*, presents a fictionalized account of Osman and his workshop, where the artist blinds himself in emulation of the legendary miniaturist Bihzad, symbolizing the end of the Ottoman miniature tradition.

Did You Know?

• His illustrative style has been described as 'plain, yet perceptive,' showing careful attention to the most minute detail and depicting events in a realistic style.
• In Osman's version of the tale of Rostam and Sohrab, Sohrab's groom looks to be 'collapsing with grief and shock' as he witnesses Rostam killing his own son.
• Nobel Prize-winner Orhan Pamuk's novel My Name Is Red is a fictional account of Osman and his workshop, in which his character's death represents 'the end of the Ottoman miniature' as miniaturists begin to follow Western art.