Iconic photo of Turkish literature’s ‘Garip’ poets sold at auction

İhsan Yılmaz – ISTANBUL

One of the most iconic images in Turkish literary history, featuring the founding poets of the “Garip” movement — Orhan Veli Kanık, Oktay Rıfat and Melik Cevdet Anday — has been sold at auction for approximately 428,000 Turkish Liras (around $11,000), excluding taxes and fees.

The black-and-white photograph, immortalizing the trio whose poetic revolution reshaped modern Turkish literature, was offered by Phebus Auction House.

The image has long held a place in the cultural imagination, not only due to the stature of its subjects but also because it inspired Melih Cevdet Anday’s poignant poem “Fotoğraf” (‘Photograph’), which begins in the lines: “Four people had a picture taken in the park, Me, Orhan, Oktay and Şinasi...”

The poem, reflective and nostalgic, adds literary depth to the photograph’s emotional resonance. It captures a moment of youth and camaraderie among the poets, while subtly foreshadowing the inevitable passage of time.

What made the photograph particularly valuable to collectors was the rare set of signatures it bears. The photo was dedicated to their beloved literature teacher, the poet Yahya Saim Bey (known as Ozanoğlu), with an inscription reading, “To our dearest teacher, poet Yahya Saim Bey,” and signed by all four students — Orhan Veli, Melih Cevdet, Oktay Rıfat and their classmate Şinasi.

The Garip (meaning 'Strange' or 'Outsider') movement, which emerged in the 1940s, marked a radical departure from the ornate, classical style of Ottoman poetry.

Championing simplicity, colloquial language, and the everyday experience of ordinary people, the movement democratized Turkish poetry and left an indelible mark on its literary tradition.

The photograph stands as a lasting artifact of a literary revolution.