Osman Hamdi Bey painting surprises exam takers

ISTANBUL

The pioneer of Turkish painting art, Osman Hamdi Bey’s painting “Girl Reading the Quran,” which fetched 6.3 million pounds at an auction in London in 2019 and became Turkey’s most expensive painting, surprised the exam takers in the KPSS (public personnel selection examination) on Sept. 6.

One of the questions in the exam was about the worth of this painting, which was sold for a record price, but the exam takers chose the “Tortoise Trainer,” the best-known work of the artist, as the answer.

The painting then became a hot topic on social media as most of the people did not know about his other paintings.

One exam taker said, “I can swear that everyone chose the ‘Tortoise Trainer’ as the answer to the question, but I can’t prove it.”

Another said, “I think the answer is the ‘Tortoise Trainer,’ you don’t know it.”

The 1880 painting was sold at the Bonhams auction house. Art historians said the oil painting, measuring 41.1 x 51 centimeters (1.34 x 1.67 feet) on canvas, showed Osman Hamdi Bey’s distinctive features and unique style. The details of the young woman’s clothes and the environment full of colorful Islamic designs have been praised as the signature works of the renowned painter.