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.
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo, Wicker, Mirror
1880s German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass
19th Century Irish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1950s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Wire
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1890s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Bamboo, Wood
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Maple
2010s Mexican Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Clay, Linen
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1890s Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Thai Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birch, Elm
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Rush
2010s German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pottery, Grasscloth, Bamboo
1950s Chinese Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Terracotta
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Mid-20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Giltwood, Mirror
1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Papercord
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1910s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
Late 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Ironstone
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Birdseye Maple
Early 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1910s Danish Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Birch
20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1970s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
2010s South African Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Steel, Stainless Steel
2010s German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1880s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Rush
1840s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
19th Century Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bentwood
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Rush, Beech
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool