Aesthetic Movement Bronze
Antique 19th Century English Wall Lights and Sconces
Ormolu
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Aesthetic Movement Centerpieces
Bronze, Gold, Silver
Antique Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Cabinets
Bronze
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Architectural Elements
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Aesthetic Movement Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Glass
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Scientific Instruments
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Aesthetic Movement Desk Sets
Bronze
Vintage 1920s American Aesthetic Movement Wall Mirrors
Bronze
Vintage 1910s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Aesthetic Movement Carts and Bar Carts
Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Aesthetic Movement Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Pedestals
Marble, Bronze
Antique 1870s French Aesthetic Movement Wall Mirrors
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
Antique 19th Century Russian Aesthetic Movement Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
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Aesthetic Movement Bronze For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Aesthetic Movement Bronze?
A Close Look at 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 27, 2025One of the most famous artists of the Aesthetics movement named Whistler was James McNeill Whistler. Like other proponents of the Aesthetics movement, he believed in producing art for art's sake. Some of his best-known works include Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl; Nocturne in Black and Gold; The Falling Rocket and Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1., more commonly referred to as Whistler's Mother. On 1stDibs, explore an assortment of James McNeill Whistler art.