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 French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Faux Bamboo
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Enamel
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Marble, Iron
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Polyester
1890s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Copper
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sapele Wood
Mid-20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paint
1950s Norwegian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk
1980s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Onyx
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Hardwood
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1840s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
1950s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Velvet, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1960s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Opaline Glass
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Silver
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica
1880s Chinese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Giltwood, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Iron
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1910s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany, Leather
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1880s Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience