Born: 26 February 1886, Turkey
Died: 1954 (circa)
Country most active: Turkey, International
Also known as: مهری مشفیق خانم ,Mihri Rasim Achba
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Mihri Müşfik Hanım, an Abkhazian princess and a trailblazer in Turkish art, known for her portraits of significant figures like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was born in the Baklatarlası neighborhood of Kadıköy in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now: Istanbul) in 1886. Educated and influenced by her father’s artistic interests, she pursued art in Paris and Rome, eventually becoming one of Turkey’s first renowned female painters. She faced personal challenges, including a divorce and a difficult life abroad, living her last years destitute in New York City, where she died in 1954.