Google doodle marks Turkish engraver's 117th birthday

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Tech giant Google on Thursday marked the 117th birthday of renowned Turkish engraver and painter, Aliye Berger, with a special home-page “doodle.”

Today, local users of the search engine at google.com or google.com.tr can see a caricature of the artist. A click on the doodle brings up information and news about Berger.

The search engine’s homepage is often altered to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures.

Berger, one of the first engravers of Turkey, was born on Dec. 24, 1903 in Buyukada, the largest of Istanbul's Princes Islands.

Known for her expressionist engravings, Berger initially studied painting and piano lessons in a French High School in Istanbul.

In 1947, she married Carl Berger, but he passed away nearly six months later.

Then, Berger moved to London where she studied engraving and sculpture under the mentorship of the noted wood engraver and artist, John Buckland-Wright.

In 1951, on her return to Turkey, Berger held her first exhibition, showcasing her 150 works in Istanbul.

Three years later, Berger won the international painting competition of Yapı Kredi Bank with her oil painting titled Sun Rising, and a year later, in 1955, she took a second prize at the second Tehran Biennial.

Berger died on Aug. 9, 1974 in Buyukada. After Berger’s death, her works have been exhibited several times in Istanbul, Vienna and New York.