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.
1880s Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware, Majolica, Pottery
1880s Chinese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Bamboo
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Oak
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bentwood, Velvet
20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birdseye Maple
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1920s Belgian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo, Wood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ironstone
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan, Wood
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain, Wood, Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Bamboo
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Tin
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
Early 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gesso, Mirror, Hardwood
Early 1900s German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
1980s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Copper
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware, Majolica, Pottery
1920s English Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Plaster
1930s Belgian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
19th Century Scottish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain, Oak
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century Northern Irish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron, Metal
Mid-20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Bamboo, Wood
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper