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.
20th Century Chinese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1890s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cotton, Silk
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1990s Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk, Hemp
Mid-20th Century Azerbaijani Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Giltwood, Lacquer
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Tôle, Iron
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
1890s Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ironstone, Porcelain
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cowhide, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cowhide, Leather
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Acrylic, Paint
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1990s Baltic Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
2010s English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Velvet
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Tapestry, Wicker
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Natural Fiber
1870s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Pewter
Mid-19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1980s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Early 2000s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paint