The very first painting lessons were scheduled at the Mühendishane-i Berri-i Humayun (Military School of Engineering) in 1793 mostly for technical purposes.
Additionally, local Christian and "Levantine" artists, as well as foreign painters who lived in Istanbul and other parts of the Ottoman Empire, contributed to the art milieu in 19th century Turkey.
A studio was built with army support in Şişli, a district of Istanbul, with Celal Esat Arseven's attempt in 1917.
Hüseyin Avni Lifij's "Progress" and "War Allegory", İbrahim Çallı's "Cannon Carrier", Mehmet Ruhi [tr]'s "Stone Breakers" were the first examples of multi-figured and large dimensional compositions realised prior to and following this period.
At the entrance of the first exhibition held in the Academy's hall, the reproduction of a painting by El Greco on one side and the Anatolian rug embroidery on the other reveals the general tendency of the group.
These ten students were Ivy Stangali, Leyla Gamsız, Hulusi Sarptürk, Mustafa Esirkuş, Nedim Günsür, Fahrünnisa Sönmez, Turan Erol, Orhan Peker, Mehmet Pesen and Fikret Otyam.
[1] After the first exhibition, the artists who joined the group, whose members reached thirty within a year; Adnan Varince, Nevin Demiryol (Cokay), Perihan Ege, Özden Ergökçen, Naim Fakihoğlu, Fuat İgbelli, Remzi Raşa, Gönül Tiner, Hayrullah Tiner, İlhan Uğhan, Sedat Uslu, Cafer Yazdıran, Sema Akdağ, Necmi Başkurt, Cezmi Çelebioğlu, Aliye Kara, Osman Yenisey and Ilkay Üçkaya.