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 20th Century Philippine Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Horn, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1950s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Early 1900s European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birch, Birdseye Maple
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Aluminum
1950s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1980s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1880s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1930s Spanish Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1880s German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak, Hardwood, Wood
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Wood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
19th Century Spanish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century Russian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lacquer
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cut Glass
Late 20th Century Philippine Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Horn, Wood
2010s Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1870s Great Britain (UK) Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century North American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo, Faux Bamboo
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birdseye Maple
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1890s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Enamel, Gold
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Maple, Wood
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver