This “exhibit within an exhibit” forms the starting point of The Prince’s Extraordinary World: Abdulmecid Efendi. Similar to the Osman Hamdi Bey: Beyond Vision study of 2018, Abdülmecid Efendi’s six paintings in the Sakıp Sabancı Museum Collection were the subject of a research project carried out by various scientists and conservators using modern conservation techniques in the museum’s laboratory. The study used a methodology similar to the Osman Hamdi Bey: Beyond Vision, still on view in the Atlı Köşk. Our aim was to take a closer look at Abdülmecid Efendi’s art, revealing his painting process and discovering details beneath the visible surface of the works.
Four of the six artworks housed in the SSM Collection are oil paintings on canvas, and the remaining two are pastel on paper. In the first phase of the project, X-ray imaging was used to determine Abdülmecid Efendi’s artistic process and the condition of the paintings. Following the X-ray imaging, various components of the works underwent chemical analyses. 25- micrometer samples were taken from different points and embedded in capsules containing epoxy to preserve their integrity. This allowed us to determine the pigments in the artist’s paints, and comprehend the structure of paint layers and texture of the paintings. The micro-paint samples, taken from four to six points of each painting, were examined under a scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to determine their constituent elements. “Fingerprint” graphs of the pigments, obtained with Raman spectroscopy, revealed their composition. Samples of paper fibres were taken from Abdülmecid Efendi’s two pastel on paper works and analysed with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-Attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) to confirm the organic structural similarities between the two. The colours and physical properties of the fibres were also observed under optical microscope.
Along with the types of pigments the artist used, our research unveiled Abdülmecid Efendi’s painting techniques and his preparatory work underneath the surface of the painting. The works were determined to be in good condition and underwent various preventive conservation implementations. This project laid the groundwork for the reevaluation of Abdülmecid Efendi’s paintings in the SSM Collection from an art historical perspective.
