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 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 1900s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 20th Century Philippine Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Horn, Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Acrylic, Wood, Paper
1980s Canadian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1990s Philippine Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birch, Elm
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Mid-20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1920s Belgian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Nepalese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1940s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Walnut
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Bamboo, Faux Bamboo
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Birch, Birdseye Maple
1950s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass
1970s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Wire
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
1950s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Wood
Early 1900s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1920s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1930s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Faux Bamboo
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
20th Century Portuguese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror, Paint