Portrait: Calligrapher İsmail Hakkı Altunbezer. Part I
İsmail Hakkı Altunbezer, or İsmail Hakkı Bey, known by the title of “Tuğrakeş” was born in the Kuruçeşme district of Istanbul on 10 Zilhijja 1289 (February 9, 1873), according to his registry. He was given the name Ismail because he was born on the first day of Eid-al-Adha. His father is calligrapher Mehmed İlmî Efendi, one of the students of Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, and his mother is Zeliha Hanım. He has an architect brother named Mehmet Ali. He took the surname Altunbezer, suitable for his profession of illumination after the Republic.
The first three of the five generations of grandfathers on his paternal side are local calligraphers who lived in Trabzon and grew up there. His grandfather, Ali Şükrü, immigrated from Trabzon to Istanbul and settled here. He is a self-taught artist learning the art of calligraphy and served as a calligraphy teacher at the Naval School then. Thus, it is possible to determine that İsmail Hakkı Altınbezer came from a family of calligraphers as far back as five generations.
Education
The fact that his father is also a calligrapher gathered all of his love for art into calligraphy. Once narrated by himself, Although he was reluctant about his calligraphy skills when he was younger, his father encouraged him to write one line from the tomb cover writings of Hamza (ra), uncle to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, so that his father and himself could have a joint work together. This unique encouragement was alone for the young İsmail Hakkı Efendi to gain self-confidence.
Hakkı Bey continued his primary education at Aksaray Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Primary School, then at the middle school on the Otlukçular Yokusu (slope) in Fatih. His father was a calligrapher, and then the teaching of calligraphy in schools first gathered his love for art on writing. He started learning the thuluth and naskh scripts from his father, a calligraphy teacher there, and a calligrapher named Süleyman Efendi. After graduating from middle school in 1890, he became an intern to the chancellor of the Imperial Council (The Divan-ı Hümayun). During the same period, he studied painting and engraving at the School of Fine Arts (Sanâyi-i Nefîse). After four years, İsmail Hakkı Efendi had to leave engraving for health issues but managed to finish the painting branch in six years, obtaining a diploma. On 5 October 1897, he received his School of Fine Arts diploma with high honors.
The Imperial Council
When İsmail Hakkı Efendi was appointed to the Imperial Council (Diwan) in 1890, he followed the style of the office he was in and took two years of training from Muhtar and İsmet Efendi, then from Sâmi Efendi, the head of the calligraphers then (Reîsülhattâtîn). He also developed his thuluth, jali, diwani, and jali diwani scripts from Sami Efendi. He also benefited from Ferid Bey too.
He took illumination lessons first from his father and then from illuminator Bahaeddin Tokatlıoğlu.
İsmail Hakkı Bey, who served as the second head officer responsible for writing the tughras (the signature of the Sultans) for five years- tuğrakeş was the title given to the job- and as the head tugrakeş for five years in Divan-ı Hümâyun.
Years after the Republic
When the Republic was proclaimed in 1923, İsmâil Hakkı Bey was a teacher at the School of Calligraphers ((originally Medresetü’l-Hattâtîn). Based on the word madrasah in the name of this art institution and in accordance with the Law of Tevhid-i Tedrisat of 1924, unfortunately, this place was closed together with other madrasahs. until its abolishment, he taught writing of the tughra and jali scripts there.
But the teachers who teach there didn’t stop their classes,kept giving classes without a charge. Over time, it was stated that this place was not a madrasah, but an art school; with the efforts of the Minister of Education, Hamdullah Subhi Tanrıöver, and eventually it was decided to continue this institution under another name. Shortly after, that school was also closed upon the adoption of the Latin letters.
After thirty-three years of service in the Dîvân-ı Hümayun, he was left alone. İsmail Hakkı Efendi tells Süheyl Ünver about this troubled period as follows: “With the establishment of the new government, I was left all alone. Later, I requested that the new government utilize me for duty in return for my service. But the reply was simply no. They did not have the equivalent of my service anymore.”
İsmâil Hakkı Bey also produced works in the Republican Era until 1929 and wrote the articles for many official documents. The Presidential seal and the writings on the paper money belong to İsmail Hakkı Bey. After 1929, he taught at institutions providing fine arts education.
With the Ministry of Education decree dated September 30, 1931, he was appointed as the illumination teacher, and additionally the assistant director of the Istanbul Oriental Arts School (1332). İ He continued to give illumination lessons here until his illness deteriorated in 1945.
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Originally published at https://notesonpaper.substack.com.
