Hüseyin Avni Lifij facts for kids
Hüseyin Avni Lifij (born in Ladik in 1886 – died in Istanbul on June 2, 1927) was an important Turkish painter. He was known for his unique style, often called impressionist. This means he painted how light and color looked at a certain moment.
Avni Lifij came from a Circassian family. He was especially famous for his beautiful paintings of landscapes that included buildings.
About Avni Lifij
Avni Lifij's family moved from Sochi to Ladik in 1864. This was during a big event called the Great Circassian exile.
He started school in Istanbul in 1896. From a young age, he loved art and music. In 1898, he went to a private school called "Numune-i Terakki Mektebi." There, he learned to speak French.
A few years later, he got a job with the railways. This was part of the "Ottoman Ministry of Public Works," which was like the government department for building things. Even while working, he kept learning French. He also took classes at medical and pharmacy schools. He wanted to learn about the human body (anatomy) and how chemicals work (chemistry).
Studying Art in Paris
In 1906, Avni Lifij met a French architect named Henri Prost. Prost really liked Avni Lifij's paintings. He suggested that Avni Lifij show his art to Osman Hamdi Bey, a famous Turkish painter and museum director.
Osman Hamdi Bey was very impressed by Avni Lifij's painting, "Self-Portrait with Pipe." After seeing more of his work, he put Avni Lifij on a special list. This list was for artists who might get a scholarship from the government to study in Paris, France.
In late 1908, Avni Lifij was chosen for the scholarship! A few months later, he started studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This was a very famous art school. He learned from a well-known teacher named Fernand Cormon.
Teaching and Exhibitions
Avni Lifij came back to Turkey in 1912. He started teaching at Istanbul High School. In 1915, he also began teaching French at the Kandilli Anatolian High School for Girls.
The next year, in 1916, he took part in the first "Galatasaray Exhibition." This exhibition later became a very important place for new artists to show their work. In 1918, he showed 18 of his paintings at an exhibition in Vienna. These paintings were about the war.
Meeting the President
In 1922, Avni Lifij and his wife went to a teacher's meeting in Bursa. There, they met President Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.
President Atatürk invited them to stay with him in Ankara for four months. During this time, Avni Lifij painted several portraits of important people. One of these was a portrait of Marshall Fevzi Çakmak. He also started one of his most famous paintings, "Karagün," which means "Black Day."
In 1924, Avni Lifij became a Professor at the "Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi." This was the School of Fine Arts, which is now part of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. He kept this important job until he passed away suddenly in 1927. He was only forty-one years old. It seems he had a heart attack.
