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 Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1880s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Papercord, Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool, Silk
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
1950s Irish Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paint
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather
2010s English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Velvet
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pottery
19th Century Unknown Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Acrylic
1880s Czech Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Blown Glass
1790s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Burl, Oak
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Softwood
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal, Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
1990s Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk
19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ebony, Walnut
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Plaster
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Silver
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Mirror
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut, Pine
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paint, Paper
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
2010s Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Gold, Silver
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lacquer
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather, Walnut
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Terracotta
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
20th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper