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.
$187Sale Price / item|25% Off
Vintage Brunschwig & Fils Victoria & Albert Bird Song Hand-Printed Wallpaper
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Adorable and rare Brunschwig & Fils hand-printed wallpaper border inspired by Victorian design from the Victoria & Albert Museum. Have not been able t...
Paper
19th Century Irish Wallpaper Panel framed in a Cornice Molding
By Interi
Located in Columbia, SC
19th century Irish velvet flocked wallpaper from David Skinner's original period patterns archive of Irish historic wallpapers from Dublin, Ireland....
Gold Leaf
$944Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 72 in W 36 in D 0.1 in
Plum Blossom Wallpaper Hand Painted Wallpaper on Silver Metallic with Antiques
Located in Wuxi, 32
If you love the look of De Gournay wallpaper but not the price, this is for you. Measures: 36"x72" The colorways in this sections present our l...
Silver Leaf
$550 / item
H 0.04 in W 29.53 in D 0.04 in
Fabscarte Handmade Hand Painted Wallpaper Wall Decor, Ninfee
By Fabscarte
Located in Milan, IT
- This product is priced per square meter. Please contact us for assistance with square footage calculations. - The lead time depends on the quantity of the order. A perfect combina...
Paper, Paint
$2,360Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 96 in W 36 in D 0.1 in
Peacock Chinoiserie Wallpaper Hand Painted Wallpaper on Silk Panel
Located in Wuxi, 32
If you love the look of De Gournay wallpaper but not the price, this is for you. Measures: 3 ft x 8 ft. The colorways in this sections present our latest colorways, which can be a...
Silk
$1,932Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 58 in W 41 in D 0.1 in
Japanese Garden Wallpaper Panels Hand Painted Wallpaper on gold gilded paper
Located in Wuxi, 32
If you love the look of De Gournay wallpaper but not the price, this is for you. Measures: 41" wide x 58" The colorways in this sections present our latest colorways, which can be a...
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Hand Painted Asian Wallpaper Panels
Located in San Francisco, CA
A set of three mounted hand painted wallpaper panels in simple wood frames. Beautifully and elaborate painted scenes with birds, flowers,...
Paper
$1,932Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 58 in W 41 in D 0.1 in
Japanese Garden Wallpaper Panels Hand Painted Wallpaper on Gold Gilded Paper
Located in Wuxi, 32
If you love the look of De Gournay wallpaper but not the price, this is for you. Measures: 41" wide x 58" The colorways in this sections present our latest colorways, which can be...
Gold Leaf
Mercia Vines Slate Botanical Birds and Bees Wallpaper
Located in Kent, GB
Collection: Mercia Vines Product Code: 28B Color: Slate Roll dimensions: 70cm x 10m (27.6in x 10.9yards) Area: 7sq.m (8.4 sq.yards) Pattern repeat: 70cm (...
Paper
Fabscarte Handmade Hand Painted Wallpaper, Bosco
By Fabscarte
Located in Milan, IT
- This product is priced per square meter. Please contact us for assistance with square footage calculations. - The lead time depends on the quantity of the order. The absolute prot...
Paper, Paint
Mercia Vines in Verdigris Botanical Birds and Bees Wallpaper
Located in Kent, GB
Collection: Mercia Vines Product Code: 28G Colors: Verdigris Roll dimensions: 70cm x 10m (27.6in x 10.9yards) Area: 7sq.m (8.4 sq.yards) Pattern repeat: 7...
Paper
$2,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 96 in W 36 in D 0.1 in
Chinoiserie Murals Chinoiserie Wallpaper Hand Painted Silk Wallpaper
Located in Wuxi, 32
If you love the look of De Gournay wallpaper but not the price, this is for you. Measures: 42"W x 81" H. The colorways in this sections present our latest colorways, which can be applied to any designs and any base ground (silk, tea paper, metallic, fabric and etc.) Price There are 4 panels in the listed photo, price is for 4 panels of 36" wide x 96" high, background is on silk, currently price doesn't include any embroidery cost, Accept custom requires on the sizes, background and painting colors, tailored to any wall sizes. Dear customer, please note: For safe delivery, all the panels roll in a strong tube. Please have the professional installer to install the wallpapers, there is a standard overlap between panels, and a black dot marked on the top and bottom of each panel, please check well before installing. Shipping We do our best to process & ship all orders...
Silk
Fabscarte Handmade and Hand Painted Wallpaper, Batik
By Fabscarte
Located in Milan, IT
- This product is priced per square meter. Please contact us for assistance with square footage calculations. - The lead time depends on the quantity of the order. As the name sugge...
Paper
Sample Handmade and Hand Painted Wallpaper
By Fabscarte
Located in Milan, IT
Our samples reflect the same attention to detail that goes into our wallpapers since they are all handmade. The price for the samples is 80 euros (Including shipping costs). If you...
Paper