Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
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.
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Brass
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Oak
1960s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Steel, Nickel
Mid-20th Century Egyptian Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Brass
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Hardwood
2010s Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Cotton, Linen, Polyester
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Danish Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Upholstery, Teak
1820s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1950s Danish Vintage Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Steel
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric, Bamboo, Faux Bamboo
1960s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Wood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Nutwood
1930s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Ottomans and Poufs
Beech