Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
In 1880, polymath designer William Morris declared: “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” His words encapsulated the Aesthetic Movement, which prized beauty above all and blurred the lines between fine art and the decorative arts, particularly through lavishly crafted furniture pieces.
The Aesthetic Movement, whose major proponents included author Oscar Wilde, flourished from the 1860s to the 1880s and was mostly popular in England and the United States. Design expositions like the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, as well as the publishing of how-to books for interior design, helped disseminate Aesthetic Movement bedroom furniture, serveware, coffee tables and other items, especially to the middle class.
The establishment of new art museums, art clubs and a rising passion for collecting at the time contributed to a growing appreciation for art. Morris’s founding of Morris & Co. in 1862 and the commercializing of this “cult of beauty” by the Liberty store in London, starting in the late 19th century, further disseminated the idea of a domestic space that was thoughtfully and floridly designed.
Leading Aesthetic Movement furniture designers included E.W. Godwin, who drew on Japanese influences and whose work reflected a wider enthusiasm for imported East Asian art. British designer Christopher Dresser created textiles, ceramics and more that were also inspired by Japanese decorative art but were representative of additional diverse design sources that ranged from Egypt to Mexico.
The Aesthetic Movement’s eclecticism resulted in dazzling interiors. Japanese fans were positioned on Renaissance-inspired cabinets with brass hardware, while mantels made of rich walnut or finely carved ebonized wood and adorned with painted Minton tiles mingled with cast-iron chairs against a backdrop of floral wallpaper. In 1881, in New York City, stenciled checkerboard motifs and painted floral murals could be found under an opalescent glass chandelier in a luxurious dressing room designed by German émigré cabinetmaker-decorator George Alfred Schastey. Amid the rise of the industrial age, the style’s promotion of art in everyday life would inform the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau.
Find a collection of antique Aesthetic Movement seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.
1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Silver
Early 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bamboo, Cane, Mirror, Bentwood
Early 1900s European Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Birch, Birdseye Maple
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Wrought Iron
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bamboo, Lacquer
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Early 20th Century North American Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Birdseye Maple, Cherry
Late 20th Century Philippine Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather, Wood
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
2010s Italian Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Oak
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Faux Bamboo, Pine
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Silk
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather, Walnut
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Birch
1990s Italian Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Silk
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Copper
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bamboo, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Birdseye Maple
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Paint
21st Century and Contemporary North American Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Linen
2010s American Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Polyester
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bamboo, Giltwood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary American Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood, Paper
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
1880s Chinese Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bamboo
19th Century Belarusian Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron, Wrought Iron, Metal
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Walnut
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Oak
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Glass, Mercury Glass
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Birdseye Maple, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Cotton
2010s English Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Silk
Late 20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Enamel
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Pottery
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bronze
Early 20th Century Dutch Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bentwood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Earthenware
2010s English Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Velvet
2010s Italian Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Silk
2010s English Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Velvet
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Elm, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement More Furniture and Collectibles
Bronze