TR:
Anit / Heykel: Ibrahim Çalli Heykeli
Bulundugu yer: Ankara Devlet Resim ve Heykel Müzesi bahçesi
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EN:
Metal statue of formally dressed over life size sitting Ibrahim Çalli with painting tools is located in garden of Ankara State Museum of Painting and Sculpture. It is placed on pedestal made from stone "bricks" with plaque with plastic inscription.
EN:
Ibrahim Çalli, was born in the country town of Çal in the province of Denizli. He first won recognition as Çalli Ibrahim (Ibrahim of Çal), but later changed his name to Ibrahim Çalli.
When still very young he stuffed the little money he had managed to save into his belt and set out for Istanbul. Here he was the typical innocent in the great city. He had all his money stolen and was forced to earn his living by working in a coffeehouse in Çemberlitas. Here his intelligence and energy attracted the attention of the painter Seker Ahmet Pasha who, impressed by his artistic talent, managed to get him into the Academy of Fine Arts. The other students were at first rather ill at ease with the newcomer, who was somewhat older than they were and who would come to the Faculty in his peasant clothes with a sash round his waist. But Ibrahim Çalli, ‘s warm and friendly disposition soon won their hearts.
In 1910 Çalli won a scholarship to Paris, where he showed an interest in almost all types of painting. On his return to Istanbul after a four years’ stay he was appointed to a teaching post in the Academy of Fine Arts, where his studio became a sort of sanctuary for those who wished to work in freedom. Çalli always allowed his students to follow their instincts without reference to any hard and fast rules or dogmatic principles. He was also a very amusing and witty conversationalist. His house, a two-storied building just beside the Academy of Fine Arts (which had just been burnt down) was always thronged with visitors, and some students, among them the painter Turgut Zaim, lived there permanently.
Although Çalli was essentially an Impressionist, other styles were grafted on to his own from time to time. When former students like Kocamemi or Ali Çelebi returned to Turkey after studying with Hoffmann in Germany, Call, would have no inhibitions about interrogating them at great length about the methods of work they had acquired and about finding out as much as he could about German Expressionism. When Leopold L6vy was appointed head of the department of
Painting in the Academy of Fine Arts he made no objection to this state of affairs. As a matter of fact he very much approved of it. When it was time for Çalli to retire he remarked very bitterly, “The civil servant has retired. An artist can never retire....”
He was well known for his complaints about money. On one occasion President Inönü presented a gold watch to a young cellist whose concert he had just attended. This was in the 1940’s. Call, had several times taken his pictures to the Presidential palace but never succeeded in selling any. “Oh God;’ he cried, “A deaf president presents awards to musicians. Send us painters a blind minister of culture!”
In spite of his bohemian style of life Çalli painted a number of very fine works, headed by portraits of Atatürk and Inönü. Copies of these were once printed and hung in all government offices. His preferred subjects were portraits. Flowers (magnolias), and landscapes with figures.
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