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.
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1910s European Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Raffia, Lacquer, Paint
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1880s Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 18th Century Balkan Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Creamware
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1950s Chinese Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Terracotta
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany, Walnut
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ebony, Walnut
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cut Steel
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Birch
1890s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pottery
1920s Unknown Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Iron
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1870s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold, Sterling Silver
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cherry
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Mercury Glass
1890s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century Portuguese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
19th Century Burmese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stainless Steel, Iron, Silver Plate
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware





