Bergama rug from Dutch masterpiece rewoven in Türkiye

A 17th-century Bergama rug featured in a painting by Dutch artist Pieter de Hooch is being revived in its homeland. As part of a project led by Gülay Fitöz, a Turkish woman living in the Netherlands, the rug is being faithfully recreated by local women in Bergama, a district of İzmir. Inspired by the appearance of the Bergama rug in de Hooch's painting, Fitöz launched the initiative after consultations with Turkish authorities and with support from the Dutch Embassy in Ankara, the Consulate General in Istanbul, and the Menderes Public Education Center. She named the project 'The Immortal Muses of the Netherlands: Anatolian Women.' Fitöz selected de Hooch's painting 'Woman Playing the Lute and Singing Couple in an Elegant Interior' for the project and traveled to Bergama so that the rug depicted could be rewoven by women from its place of origin. Working with women from a carpet and handicrafts cooperative founded by master weaver Kadriye Yakar and affiliated with Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Fitöz began the project in August. The 5-square-meter rug, featuring tones of orange, blue, terracotta, andesite, powder pink, and pistachio green, is scheduled to be completed and exhibited in November.