Yeniliklerle dolu yüzyıldan iki 'yeni' isim : Nedim-Levni ve eserlerindeki sevgili figürleri

Abstract

The 18th century is a period open to new developments and advances in Ottoman poetry and miniature art. Due to failures in political life, the state turned to the West and encountered a “New World,” thereby paving the way for a renewal in art. The principal reason for this longing for novelty (especially in the Tulip Period) is a desire to experience worldly pleasures. In this context, the poet Nedim and the miniaturist Levnî, who produced their works in the first half of the century, are the most important representatives of changes occurring within their respective fields of art. The increasing visibility of private life, as it was expressed in the structure of society’s elite, significantly influenced poetry and miniature art. Private life comes to life, so to speak, visually within miniatures and verbally in poems, and it leads to the appearance of realism and individualism, themes common to both Levnî and Nedim. Whereas Levnî creates his individualism by painting detailed figures taken from real life, Nedim establishes his style by expressing his experiences as he saw and lived them without embellishment, which is what made him different from other Divan poets. In addition to these characteristics, it is important to note, from the perspective of realism, that figures of beloved in both artists were selected from real life. Furthermore, elements such as eyebrows, hair, nose, mouth, lips, which Nedim highlights while speaking of his beloved in his gazels, find life in Levnî’s miniatures. The purpose of this study is to determine characteristics common to both artists, while examining the contributions each artist made to his respective field.