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.
1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Scottish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain, Oak
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Tin
1910s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1930s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lacquer
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold, Silver
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1880s Czech Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Blown Glass
19th Century Moroccan Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bone, Wood
1890s Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1850s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1790s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paint, Paper
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Late 20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cotton
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Leather
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Chinese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Mirror
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lacquer
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Silver
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Elm, Oak
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Murano Glass
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Gold, Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Opaline Glass
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain