109. Today in 1920s Turkey: 3 September 1924 (Autumn au Naturel)

(Cartoon by Cemal Nadir Güler, Papağan or “Parrot,” 3 September 1924, no. 20, page 1.)

Türkçe: Sonbahar!
English: Autumn!

Comments:
The main cover picture for this week’s issue of the journal, Papağan or “Parrot” represents a personification of Autumn. This particular “meaning” is not immediately obvious from the image which is perhaps why, for clarification, the declaration “Autumn!” (Sonbahar!) was included below the image. The caption thus provides a frame with which to consider the otherwise naturally subdued image. Now it is possible to view it as somewhat melancholy—perhaps the calm before a storm.

The scene itself presents a lone, nude woman perched upon a rocky outcrop off the coast of a beach. The picture benefits from a strong graphic line and bold color blocks. At the very center is the woman who is seated with her back turned to the reader with her head turned to the left, thus visible in profile. Strategically placed cascades of long, black hair interrupt much of her otherwise white, nude body. Concealing Autumn’s body with her own locks was not merely a strategic choice but an aesthetic one too. The sinuous tentacles of hair are almost entirely reverse-framed by the white cloud splitting the background of the picture. This use of contrasting colors creates balance in the composition and aids in focusing the reader’s attention to the central figure.

Of course, Autumn is not only represented in the figure but the entire composition projects the coming of a new season. As an intermediary season between the heat of summer and the cold of winter, Autumn represents change and the unexpected. The woman’s condition is similar in that she is both nude and concealed. Her arms are placed close to her torso suggesting colder weather or (less literally) a more melancholy mood. The cloud overhead not only serves an aesthetic purpose but it also contributes to the Autumn theme as a harbinger of the new, less welcoming weather conditions ahead.

Papağan or “Parrot” was a weekly journal that ran between 1924 and 1925. It often featured rather risque images of woman both on its cover and between its pages. The present image is a good example of the kinds of images one may find in this paper. While some are rather crude, others are quite sophisticated and deliver very satisfying and aesthetically appealing content such as that of “Autumn.” As the first September issue of the magazine, this personification of Autumn serves to welcome the arrival of the first month in such a beautiful composition perhaps in order to distract readers from the sad reality of the seasons changing and the once active and sunny beaches becoming desolated, cloudy, and dark. The carefree days of summer are coming to an end and she (like many people) is about to bid farewell to it until next year.

(Entire page, Papağan or “Parrot,” 3 September 1924, no. 20, page 1.)