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.
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Glass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pottery
1880s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cane
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lead
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1890s Belgian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
19th Century North American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
1890s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Beech
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1890s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Horn, Fabric, Hardwood
1930s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Metal
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Mexican Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mahogany
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Leather, Bamboo
1890s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 1900s German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1890s German Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Birdseye Maple
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Enamel
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
1870s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Plaster, Oak
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faience
1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Lacquer
Early 20th Century Austrian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Cane, Bentwood
2010s German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1950s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1890s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Travertine





