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.
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wire
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Copper
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Thread, Wood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Mirror, Wood, Lacquer, Glass
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Wood, Walnut
2010s German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stainless Steel, Iron, Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain, Paste
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold, Silver
1920s English Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Philippine Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cowhide, Leather
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic
1910s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut, Macassar
Early 20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Birch
Late 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold Leaf
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic, Faience
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Persian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Copper
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo, Wood
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Hardwood