Dear Art Lovers,
Prepared alone or in partnership, I would like to share my articles, fine-art, art-history books, and photos of paintings most with documentary value that I have exhibited in Turkey and abroad for the last 40 years.
I shall always remain grateful to my late mother Elena Makzume who instilled in me the love for art and all my friends, collaborators who have always extended their support in the preparation of my books, articles and exhibitions.
I devoted my years to researching and continue to do so. My interest and enthusiasm remains as vigorous as from the very the first day. For the period 1750-1923, when the art of photography did not sufficiently diffuse in Turkey, in Ottoman lands, I compiled biographies of large number of European artists, enriching my library.
Hope with time, new visuals and articles shall add up to my website.
Değerli Sanatseverler,
Son 40 yıldır, tek başıma veya ortaklaşa, hazırladığım sanat ve tarih içerikli kitapları, makaleleri, yurt içinde ve dışında sergi etkinliklerinde yer alan belge nitelikli eserleri sizinle paylaşmak istedim.
Sanat sevdasını bana aşılayan rahmetli annem Elena Makzume’ye ve sergi, makale ve kitap hazırlıklarında işbirliği yaparak desteklerini esirgemeyen tüm değerli dostlarıma her zaman teşekkürü borç bilirim.
Konuya yıllarımı adadım ve araştırmalarımı sürdürmeye devam ediyorum. Bu daldaki merak ve heyecanım ilk günkü gibi devam ediyor. 1750-1923 arası henüz fotoğraf sanatının topraklarımızda yaygınlaşmadığı yıllarda, Misak-ı Milli sınırlarını, Osmanlı topraklarını gezen Avrupalı seyyah ressamların büyük bir kısmının biyografilerini oluşturarak kütüphanemi zenginleştirdim.
Darısı, bu konuda ileride yayınlanacak yeni makale, kitap ve sergilere diyelim. İnternet sitemdeki içeriğin ve makale sayısının zamanla artacağını umuyorum.
Lifetime devoted to art and research!
Sanata ve araştırmaya adanmış bir ömür!
Erol Makzume
Short Biography
He is a board member of his family company, active in shipping and logistics operations and is acting as honorary Consul General for the Republic of Guyana in Turkey. His main interest in art set going in 1980 after he became a collector and started researching the subjects of 19th century orientalist traveller painters visiting the Ottoman Empire.
With co-author Osman Öndeş he wrote the books, “Painter of the Tulip Era –Jean Baptiste Van Mour (2000)”, “Ottoman Court Painter –Fausto Zonaro (2003)” both in English and Turkish. With Cesare Mario Trevigne he prepared the book “Under the Reign of Sultan Abdulhamid- Memoirs and works of Fausto Zonaro” in Turkish (2008) and in English (2011). This was followed by following publications: “Selim Melhame Pasha and family at Sultan II. Abdülhamid’s service” in Turkish (2018), family book “Briser le Mur de la Solitude” in French (2020) and “Sultan’s Ottoman Court Painter Fausto Zonaro” in English (2021).
Between 2004-2007, as exhibition coordinator of the “Turkish Grand Assembly – Department of the National Palaces” he organised retrospective exhibitions on works of Fausto Zonaro, Leonardo de Mango at “Dolmabahce Palace Ceremonial Hall” Istanbul, in Rome and at Bari. Later followed exhibitions “From the Ottoman Collection” at Abu Dhabi (2006), “Orientalists at the Ottoman Palace” (2006) and “Italian Orientalists in Ottoman Lands” (2007) at Dolmabahçe Palace.
In 2010 at Işık Gallery Istanbul, he curated the exhibition “Passion of Westerners’ for the East” and in 2012 “This side of the Aegean from Westerner’s Brush” at Arkas Art Center Izmir. In April 2015 he was exhibition coordinator of “Fausto Zonaro: Life and light between Ottoman Splendour and Italian “Belle Epoque” ” at the Medici-Riccardi Palace in Florence- Italy.
Biographical portraits of such artists and historical research papers have been published in Turkish and international magazines Skylife, Toplumsal Tarih, Antik ve Dekor, Concensus, İçel Sanat Kulübü, HT Tarih, Atlas Tarih, Shawati, Canvas-Dubai and TR.
Being regarded a specialist on Zonaro and De Mango paintings as well as other orientalists, he is consulted by major auction houses requesting authenticity of works. On January 17th 2006 he was granted the order of Cavaliere by the Italian president Ciampi for his efforts to promote Italian art and artists in Turkey. In 2018, as Honorary Consul General of Guyana in Turkey he was granted the Medal of Service by President David Granger.
Erol Makzume continues his endeavors to issue articles on fine art, and art history in various Turkish and International publications.
Çalıştığı oryantalist sanatçıların biyografik makaleleri ve diğer tarih araştırmaları Skylife, Toplumsal Tarih, Antik ve Dekor, Concensus, İçel Sanat Kulübü, HT Tarih, Atlas Tarih, Shawati, Canvas Dubai ve TR gibi yerli ve yabancı dergilerde yayınlandı.
Önemli müzayede evleri tarafından Zonaro ve De Mango ile diğer oryantalist sanatçıların eserleri hakkında görüşleri talep edilmektedir. 7 Ocak 2006 yılında İtalyan kültürü ve sanatçılarının Türkiye’de tanıtımına katkıda bulunduğundan İtalyan hükümeti tarafından Şövalye (Cavaliere) nişanı ile taltif edildi. 2018 yılında Guyana Fahri Başkonsolosu olarak Guyana Cumhurbaşkanı David Granger tarafından devlet “Hizmet Madalyası” ile taltif edildi.
Erol Makzume Türk ve yabancı dergilerde muhtelif sanat ve tarih konulu makaleler yazmaya devam etmektedir.