Mehmed Şefik [Şefik Bey; (b Istanbul, 1819; d Istanbul, 1880) ]

(b Istanbul, 1819; d Istanbul, 1880). Ottoman calligrapher. He first studied calligraphy with Ali Vasfi and then with Mustafa Izzet. In 1845 he was appointed teacher of calligraphy to the Muzika-i Hümayun, the imperial brass band. Together with the calligrapher Abdülfettah (1814–96), he was sent by Sultan Abdülmecid (reg 1839–61) to Bursa to repair the inscriptions in the Ulu Cami (congregational mosque), which had been severely damaged in the earthquake of 1855. His inscriptions there are reckoned among his finest works. During the three years he spent on this project he also wrote inscriptions in other mosques. His work includes beautiful compositions in thuluth, jalī, naskh and dīvānī scripts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

K. Baykal: Bursa’da Ulu Câmi [The Ulu Cami of Bursa] (Istanbul, 1950)
A. S. Ünver: Hattat Şefik Bey (1819–1880): Hayatı ve eserleri [The calligrapher Şefik Bey (1819–1880): his life and works] (Istanbul, 1956)
Ş.Rado: Türk hattatları [Turkish calligraphers] (Istanbul, n.d.), pp. 220–21

Photography © Gallery of Portakal Sanat ve Kültür Evi, Istanbul. Text www.groveart.com

JOC provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes and makes no warranty with regard to their use for other purposes. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or holders of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemption. JOC has made every reasonable effort to locate and acknowledge copyright owners and wishes to be informed by any copyright owners who are not properly identified and acknowledged on this website so that we may make any necessary corrections.