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.
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer, Paper
1880s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1980s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Slate
Early 1900s Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1840s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Ironstone
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Plaster
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ironstone
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Marble
1950s Greek Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo, Paper
1870s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold, Sterling Silver
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stoneware
1920s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pine
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gesso, Mirror, Hardwood
1920s Unknown Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass, Iron
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Jacquard, Velvet
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood, Bamboo
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver, Copper
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fruitwood
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Chinese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fur
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Plaster, Oak
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Stainless Steel, Iron, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Stoneware, Clay
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver





