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 English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Persian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Persian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1910s European Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Clay
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
19th Century Portuguese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1880s Czech Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Blown Glass
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lead
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Fabric
1890s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass, Mirror
20th Century Jordanian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Pine
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain, Paste
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Pine
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pearwood, Upholstery
1980s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
1880s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1910s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1930s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Plaster
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paint, Paper
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Enamel, Bronze
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Paper
1890s Dutch Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silk, Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut, Pine
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron





