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.
Set Of Three Etched Late 19th Century Wall Brackets
Located in Redding, CT
Set Of Three Etched Late 19th Century Wall Brackets . Aesthetic movement in style. Rare and hard to find. Perfect brackets to support a wooden shelf. Dimensions: Height: 15 in (2.54...
Iron
$600Sale Price / set|20% Off
3 pcs Whimsical Wall Brackets Giraffe Heads Decorated with Sea Shells
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Great set of 3 wall brackets as giraffe heads decorated with natural sea shells, designed by Elia.
Shell, Resin
$55,000 / set
Pair of Fern Wall Brackets
Located in New York, NY
American, circa 1850-1880. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), with wire armature and composition ornament, gessoed and gilded. Measures: 14 1/8 in. high, 16 5/16 in. wide (at the sh...
Wood
Pair of Blue Velvet Wall Shelves or Brackets
Located in New York, NY
Pair of blue velvet wall shelves or brackets. Handmade and covered in silk-rayon velvet. Measures: 12" x 6" x 9" H each.
Velvet, Wood
$1,450 / set
H 26 in W 10 in D 6.5 in
Antique Italian Mirrored Wall Brackets, Giltwood, Mid-19th Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Antique wall brackets with water gilding & mirrored back.
Giltwood
19th Century Anglo-Indian / Burmese Wall Bracket / Shelf
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. Circa 1880s An extremely rare intricately carved 19th-century Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. This exquisite piece is beautifully made . ...
Teak
$5,500 / set
H 10 in W 7.5 in D 6.75 in
Pair of 19th Century English Faux Bois Ceramic Wall Brackets, Parrots
Located in Darien, CT
A rare and striking pair of English faux bois ceramic wall brackets dating to the late 19th century, each centered by a finely modeled parrot perched within a sculptural branch form....
Ceramic
19th Century Anglo-Indian / Burmese Wall Bracket / Shelf
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
An extremely rare intricately carved 19th-century Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. This exquisite piece is beautifully made . Intricately carved throughout with breathtaking d...
Hardwood
$3,343 / set
H 30.32 in W 23.63 in D 16.54 in
19th Century Rococo Revival Putti Wall Brackets made of Plaster, Set of 2
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
A 19th-century unique pair of Rococo style consoles with putti heads. Carved from plaster and painted in polychrome. The consoles are open from the rear and the top. Most likely th...
Plaster
Pair of George III Giltwood Wall Brackets
Located in London, by appointment only
An exceptional pair of mid-18th century carved and water gilt wall brackets profusely carved with acanthus leaves and swags of plump roses, ripe fruits, harebells and flower heads. ...
Giltwood
Pair of George III Giltwood Wall Brackets
Located in Essex, MA
Each with rocaille galleried shelf over a pair of phoenix birds over trailing icicles and C-scrolls.
Pine, Giltwood
$350Sale Price / set|60% Off
H 8.5 in W 11.5 in D 6.5 in
Pair Shell Wall Brackets, Hand Painted Cast Stone, 1980s, Antique
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3-445 pair hand painted wall brackets /shelves made from cast stone.
Cast Stone
$1,450 / set
H 17.5 in W 12.75 in D 11.75 in
Exceptional Pair of Carved Wall Brackets with Mythological Faces
Located in San Francisco, CA
An exceptional highly carved pair of walnut wall brackets consisting of dramatic well-carved faces of mythological creatures with wide eyes, opened mouths and wild flowing hair. Subs...
Walnut
Antique Baroque Style Wall Bracket
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique baroque style painted and gilt decorated wall bracket, 18th century. With a mid to late 20th century marble top, a gilt decorated cupid face with wings.
Marble, Gold Leaf
Pair Of Louis XVI Giltwood Wall Brackets
Located in Essex, MA
Bowed egg and dart edge top over a floral swag and scrolled sides with carved acanthus leaf back. Entirely carved wood and original beautifully gilded surface.
Giltwood
$10,627
H 20.48 in W 26.58 in D 11.82 in
A Black Forest Carved Linden Wood Canine Wall Bracket Swiss, Late 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A particularly charming and substantial Black Forest carved linden wood wall bracket, the shaped shelf supported by an elaborate naturalistic composition of three hounds resting bene...
Wood
$12,000 / set
H 11.5 in W 14.25 in D 8.75 in
pair of Italian 19th century Baroque st. Giltwood wall brackets
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An elegant and richly carved pair of Italian 19th century Baroque st. Giltwood wall brackets. This stunning pair are designed with three handsome scrolled and tapering acanthus leave...
Giltwood
Pair of Shell-Encrusted Wall Brackets
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This is a whimsical pair of handcrafted wall brackets lavishly encrusted with an extraordinary assortment of natural seashells and marine specimens. Each triangular bracket is meticu...
Shell, Wood
Sold
H 4.14 in W 33.86 in D 4.14 in
Antique Reception Wall Rack, English Oak, Hall, Coat Hooks, Aesthetic, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique reception wall rack. An English, hand painted oak hallway coat hook rail in Aesthetic period taste, dating to the late Victorian era, circa 1890. Charmingly decor...
Brass
Aesthetic Period Porcelain Wall Bracket by Royal Worcester
Located in Brisbane, QLD
A marvellous 1870s period porcelain wall bracket by English maker Royal Worcester. The porcelain bracket has a rich turquoise ground which has been softened with a matte 'rust' glaze...
Porcelain
Pair of 1880 Aesthetic Movement Ebony and Gilt Corner Wall Display Shelves
Located in Lincoln, GB
Exquisite pair of 1880 Aesthetic Movement Ebony and Gilt Corner Wall Display Shelves is a true testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of the era. Made from high-quality ebony wo...
Wood, Ebony