--- title: The Tortoise Trainer slug: the-tortoise-trainer url: /detay/the-tortoise-trainer type: article language: English entity: primary: The Tortoise Trainer type: article disambiguation: Osman Hamdi Bey's iconic "The Tortoise Trainer" painting: Ottoman allegory, Pera Museum. categories: - name: Painting, Sculpture And Photography slug: resim-heykel-ve-fotografcilik url: /kategori/resim-heykel-ve-fotografcilik tags: - painting - Ottoman art - Pera Museum - Ottoman modernization - The Tortoise Trainer - art - Osman Hamdi Bey author: Edanur Karakoç created_at: 2025-02-27T11:07:39.450562+03:00 updated_at: 2025-04-17T11:39:53.341094+03:00 --- # The Tortoise Trainer ## KURE Information Cards ### KURE Information Card: The Tortoise Trainer ![osman-hamdi-bey-kaplumbaga-terbiyecisi-ust.jpg](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2025/02/27/wuhHS7XC4e3l6cvfVUj4pSzJ6wjPXuse.jpeg) | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Dimension(s) | 221 x 120 cm | | Museum | Pera Museum | | Year of Creation | 1906 | | Artist | Osman Hamdi Bey | | Location | Istanbul,Türkiye | ## Article Content [The Tortoise Trainer](/en/detay/kaplumbaga-terbiyecisi-2/llms.txt) is a painting created by [Osman](/en/detay/osman-2/llms.txt) Hamdi [Bey](/en/detay/bey-5/llms.txt) in 1906. It is one of the [artist](/en/detay/artist-3/llms.txt)’s most renowned works and is believed to offer [an](/en/detay/an-2/llms.txt) allegorical depiction of the modernization process of Ottoman society. Today, the painting is exhibited [at](/en/detay/at-3/llms.txt) the [Pera Museum](/en/detay/pera-museum-beb9a/llms.txt) in [Istanbul](/en/detay/pera-muzesi-937fc/llms.txt), Türkiye. ![Image](https://cdn.kureansiklopedi.com/media/uploads/2025/02/27/KEOjkuRXhWQX3cIARdcjduwx2ktrA839.jpeg) *(The Tortoise Trainer painting - Pera Museum)* ### **Subject and Composition** The painting depicts a man dressed in Ottoman-era attire, observing tortoises while holding a [ney](/en/detay/ney-2/llms.txt) (a reed flute) in his hand and carrying a nakkare (a type of percussion instrument) on his back. With his [red](/en/detay/red-4/llms.txt) robe and conical [hat](/en/detay/hat/llms.txt), the figure resembles an Ottoman dervish. The setting is a room on the upper floor of [Bursa](/en/detay/bursa-2/llms.txt)’s Green Mosque ([Yeşil](/en/detay/yesil-f37b9/llms.txt) Cami). In the background, an Arabic inscription in calligraphy and a pitcher inside a niche [can](/en/detay/can-3/llms.txt) be seen. The tortoises in the painting are depicted as they search for food on the ground. The posture and expression of the figure are often interpreted as evoking a sense of patience and waiting. [Osman Hamdi Bey](/en/detay/osman-hamdi-bey-d0631/llms.txt) used himself as the model for the figure, making this painting a self-portrait. ### **Iconography and Allegory** The tortoises in the artwork have been interpreted in various ways. The most widely accepted interpretation suggests that they symbolize the segments of society that are resistant to change and difficult to educate. According to this view, the slow movements of the tortoises and the patient stance of the trainer represent the long process of education and social transformation. The Arabic inscription in the painting reads: *"The cure for hearts is meeting the Beloved (Prophet Muhammad)."* The spatial elements in the painting demonstrate how Osman Hamdi Bey blended Western painting techniques with Ottoman cultural elements. ### **Creation Process** The first version of the painting was completed in 1906, and in 1907, the artist created a second version of the same composition. The second version was dedicated to Salih [Münir](/en/detay/munir-2/llms.txt) Pasha, who was Osman Hamdi Bey’s son-in-law. ### **Exhibition and Current Location** The painting was first exhibited under the name "L’homme aux Tortues" (The Man with Tortoises) at the Salon exhibition of the Société des Artistes Français (French Artists’ Society) at the Grand Palais in [Paris](/en/detay/paris-4/llms.txt). Later, it appeared in catalogs under the title "Tortoises". Today, it is part of the Pera Museum collection in Istanbul, Türkiye. ![Image](https://cdn.kureansiklopedi.com/media/uploads/2025/02/27/HHgWJXvA2q3hDzo4OtXOviukdRcPqRQt.jpeg) *(Osman Hamdi Bey - Pera Museum)* ### **The Artist and His Era** Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910) was an Ottoman painter, archaeologist, and museum director, playing a crucial role in the modernization of the Ottoman Empire. He was the founder of the [Sanayi](/en/detay/sanayi-2/llms.txt)-i Nefise Mektebi (now the [Mimar](/en/detay/mimar-2/llms.txt) Sinan Fine Arts University) and served as the director of the İstanbul Archaeology Museum. His artistic style combines Western painting techniques with Ottoman cultural elements, making his work unique in Ottoman art history. ## Academic Sources and References 1. Demir, Aslıhan. "Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi: Osman Hamdi Bey'in Sanatında Doğu-Batı Karşıtlığı ve Toplumsal Eleştiri." Sanat ve Toplum Dergisi, 2023. Accessed February 24, 2025.https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3468329. 2. Kumbara Dergisi. "Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisinin Sırları." Kumbara Dergisi, Accessed February 24, 2025.https://kumbaradergisi.com/icerikler/kaplumbaga-terbiyecisinin-sirlari/. 3. Pera Müzesi. "Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi." Pera Müzesi Resmi Web Sitesi, Accessed February 24, 2025.https://www.peramuzesi.org.tr/eser/kaplumbaga-terbiyecisi/1/40. 4. Simurg Sanatevi. "Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi Tablosu ve Hikayesi." Simurg Sanatevi, Accessed February 24, 2025.https://www.simurgsanatevi.com/kaplumbaga-terbiyecisi-tablosu-ve-hikayesi.