Sami Boyar Click for Artist Information

Ali Sami Boyar

ALİ SAMİ BOYAR (1880 - 1967)

Born in İstanbul in 1880. Upon graduating from Heybeliada Naval Academy, he continued his education in the Ottoman Academy of Fine Arts (Sanayi-i Nefise). He graduated with first in rank from the Academy and started teaching art at the Naval School. During 1910-1914, he went to Paris; he attended to the Atelier of Cormon, during that time Hikmet Onat and İbrahim Çallı were also in Paris. After returning from Europe, he left the Navy and became the Principal for the Ottoman Academy of Fine Arts (Sanayi-i Nefise). In addition to painting professionally, he became the Director of the Turkish Islamic Arts Museum and the Naval Museum due to his expertise in ancient art. He worked in the design work for the “Money” and “Stamps” of the newly established Turkish Republic and was sent to London on a mission for the printing of the first paper Money in 1925. In 1944, he retired from his post as the Director of the museum of Hagia Sophia. He is well-known for his paintings rich with monuments, mosques and fountains of İstanbul; he is interested in landscape and historic textures of the city. He is one of the traditional representatives of “Şevket Dağ School”. He died in 1967.