One of the most valuable historical ties of our faculty—whose roots date back to the founding of Dârülmuallimîn-i Rüşdîye in Istanbul's Fatih district on March 16, 1848, during the Ottoman modernization period with the aim of training teachers with new and contemporary methods—is the series of paintings gifted to our school by artist and educator Mustafa Şevket Dağ.
Image: Our faculty’s first building on Darüşşafaka Street, Fatih – March 16, 1848
Born in Istanbul in 1875, Şevket Dağ began teaching painting at Galatasaray Sultanisi on December 25, 1909. He later taught at Dârülmuallimîn-i Aliyye on September 14, 1916, at Istanbul Erkek Muallim Mektebi on February 1, 1923, and finally at Istanbul Kız Muallim Mektebi on September 1, 1933—where he remained until becoming a deputy of Konya in March 1935 (Source: TBMM Album).
As part of the Faculty Museum Commission, our Dean Prof. Dr. Seyfi Kenan, Vice Dean Assoc. Prof. Erol Süzük, Research Assistant Dr. Uğur Akbulut, and Prof. Dr. Latif Beyreli visited the Çapa Science High School building (formerly part of our institution) on February 2, 2023. During their visit to examine various written and visual historical materials, they came across a surprise: a historical album titled "From Its Establishment to Present: Administrators, Teachers, and Staff of Istanbul Girls’ and Boys’ Teacher Training Schools," prepared by Izzet Nedim Koray, a math teacher at Istanbul Teacher Training High School in 1977. According to the album, Şevket Dağ served as a painting teacher at our institution between 1914 and 1935.
Folkart Gallery, which is currently preparing to organize Turkey’s first exhibition composed exclusively of Şevket Dağ’s works, reached out to our faculty after discovering five of his paintings listed in our faculty's inventory muze-aef.marmara.edu.tr. These pieces were formally requested for temporary loan. A Loan Agreement was signed between Folkart Gallery and Marmara University Atatürk Faculty of Education, and the artworks were insured and received by the gallery to be exhibited in Izmir, Ankara, and Istanbul.
Some of the paintings, which had not undergone any maintenance for nearly a century and were damaged during institutional transitions in earlier decades, were restored under the supervision of our faculty. The full restoration and framing expenses were covered by Folkart Gallery. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the gallery and its team—especially to Mr. Fahri Özdemir, who managed the process with great care and elegance.
To explore the Şevket Dağ paintings in our faculty’s collection, visit: https://muze-aef.marmara.edu.tr/sanat-koleksiyonu/sevket-dag
A Painter Enchanted by Time and Space: Şevket Dağ
Şevket Dağ is a prominent figure in the art of the late Ottoman and early Republican periods, best known for his captivating interior paintings. However, the Atatürk Faculty of Education has made a significant contribution to this special exhibition with five rare works by the artist—featuring outdoor scenes and still lifes, which are uncommon in his oeuvre.
Born in 1875, Dağ studied at the Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi (Academy of Fine Arts) under the tutelage of Osman Hamdi Bey and Alexandre Vallaury, graduating top of his class in 1897. Starting his art career at a young age, he held his first solo exhibition in a small pudding shop in Istanbul. He later exhibited his works in major international art centers such as Athens, Munich, Brussels, Paris, and New York, receiving numerous awards. This current exhibition marks the first and only comprehensive Şevket Dağ exhibition in Türkiye since his five-piece debut show in 1902.
Izmir Exhibition
Folkart Gallery has opened a groundbreaking exhibition titled "A Painter Enchanted by Time and Space: Şevket Dağ," the first in Türkiye dedicated exclusively to the artist’s works. The exhibition, made possible after three years of dedicated work by Fahri Özdemir, features 60 works collected from 42 different collectors and institutions, alongside the artist’s personal belongings and letters. Among the highlights is the painting Interior of Hagia Sophia, which has not been exhibited since 1943.
A richly detailed 320-page catalog, prepared in both Turkish and English, accompanies the exhibition. Among the most notable contributions are five rare outdoor and still life paintings from the collection of the Atatürk Faculty of Education, drawing significant attention from visitors.
[Şevket Dağ Exhibition Opened at Folkart Gallery - Folkart
ŞEVKET DAĞ SERGİSİ FOLKART GALLERY’DE AÇILDI - Folkart
Ankara Exhibition
The second phase of the exhibition series, marking Şevket Dağ’s first comprehensive solo show, was held at CerModern in Ankara. Opened on May 4, 2023, and on display until July 30, 2023, the exhibition featured not only the artist’s rarely seen works but also his personal belongings, including his easel, paint box, sketchbooks, letters, and correspondences. Among the highlights were letters addressed to the founding leader of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
(Link to the exhibition details: https://humanis.com.tr/tr/haber/mekan-tasvirleriyle-buyuleyen-ressam-sevket-dagin-eserleri-ankarada
Istanbul Exhibition
Although Şevket Dağ’s works had been featured in group exhibitions following his passing, no exhibition until now had thoroughly focused on his artistic legacy. To address this gap, the final phase of "A Painter Enchanted by Time and Space: Şevket Dağ" was organized in Istanbul by Folkart Gallery in collaboration with Humanis and Bozlu Art Project.
Held at Bozlu Art Project Mongeri Building from September 21 to November 25, 2023, the exhibition brought the artist back together with the city he dearly loved—Istanbul, which had long served as a central theme in his work. With numerous paintings focusing on Istanbul’s historical landmarks, this exhibition served as both a tribute to Dağ’s artistic journey and a valuable insight into the evolution of Turkish art from the Ottoman period to the early Republic.
(Link to the exhibition details: https://www.bozluartproject.com/sergi/zaman-ve-mekanin-buyusunde-bir-ressam-sevket-dag/
