The Big Chlebowski: Polish Painter of Sultans

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 21 October 2017)


This copy's lower right has been completed, whereas the original
remains unfinished in a warehouse in Kracow.

The secret behind a  painting done by the famous Polish painter Stanislav
Chlebowski became known during President Erdoğan's visit to Poland
last week.  The story of the painting, which only a few people have ever
seen, is like a film scenario.

The only living person from Turkey who has ever seen the painting is
Fatma Çoşkuner of Koç University's Art History Department. 
Turkologist Dr. Öztürk Emiroğlu, who has worked for 15 years to have
the painting returned to Turkey, explained the unknowns related to the
painting, while former Housing Minister Faruk Özak provided a copied
image of the painting to Milliyet.

Chlebowski was invited to Istanbul by Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz, who
wanted Chlebowski, whom he greatly admired, to paint a picture of the
conquest of Istanbul by Sultan Mehmed II in 1453.  However, shortly
after Chlebowski began work on the painting Abdülaziz was deposed
in 1876 and Chlebowski fled to Paris, where he continued to work on
the painting. 


        Sultan Abdülaziz

Chlebowski died, though, in 1884 and his sister had the still-unfinished
painting sent to the Polish National Museum in Kracow, without anyone
fromTurkey knowing about it's fate.  The painting surfaced once again
when the Soviets occupied Poland after World War II.  The Poles held a
fund-raising reception at their embassy in Ankara in 1945, where the
painting was exhibited.  One of those who saw it was former  Minister
Özak's uncle Burhan Agah Özak, who was also a painter.

Burhan Agah Özak took a photo of Chlebowski's painting and over
the next few years painted a copy, adding the lower right portion,
which Chlebowski had left unfinished.  Former Minister Özak
tried for 20 years to fulfill his uncle's dream of bringing the original
work to Turkey and 10 days ago he went to Poland for this purpose.

Özak explained that "my late uncle photographed the original in 1945
and painted a smaller size copy of it.  He added the approximately
1-meter unfinished portion, too.  Chlebowski was very important in
Turkey's art history and there are 26 of his paintings in Istanbul.  The
unfinished "Fetih" (Conquest) painting is the most important one,
though.  I've worked for 20 years to get it back.  Rather than rot in
a warehouse it should be returned to Turkey."

During his visit to Poland, Erdoğan raised the matter with his Polish
counterpart Andrzej Duda.



   
                 Stanislav Chlebowski