Aesthetic Movement Furniture
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 Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak, Wood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Onyx
1890s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Acrylic
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1870s Great Britain (UK) Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pottery
Late 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Lebanese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stainless Steel
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Mirror
Late 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Turkmen Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Delft
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Delft
19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
Late 19th Century North American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware, Terracotta
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ash, Oak
1910s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Clay
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faience
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Burl, Oak
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Thai Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain, Paint
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1960s Belgian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold, Silver
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain