Overview

Aestheticism was a movement that flourished in Britain in the late 19th century, associated with figures like Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater, and Aubrey Beardsley. It was a reaction against the Victorian belief that art should be didactic (educational) or morally uplifting. Instead, Aesthetes believed that art had no other purpose than to be beautiful and to create a mood.

Core Idea

The core idea is autonomy of art. Art exists in a separate sphere from life and morality. Its only duty is to itself. This is encapsulated in the slogan l’art pour l’art (“art for art’s sake”). The movement also emphasized the cultivation of the self—treating one’s own life as a work of art.

Formal Definition

It is an intellectual and art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values more than social-political themes for literature, fine art, music and other arts. It is often linked to Decadence, which celebrated artificiality and excess.

Intuition

Think of Oscar Wilde wearing a velvet jacket and holding a lily. He is not trying to save the poor or teach you how to be a good citizen. He is trying to be a beautiful object. He famously said, “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”

Examples

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray: Wilde’s novel is both a celebration and a critique of Aestheticism. Dorian lives his life purely for sensation and beauty, hiding the ugly moral consequences in the portrait.
  • Peacock Room: James McNeill Whistler’s room decoration is a masterpiece of Aesthetic design—blue and gold, purely decorative, with no “story” other than harmony of color.
  • The Yellow Book: A literary periodical associated with the movement, famous for its shocking illustrations and rejection of Victorian propriety.

Common Misconceptions

  • It’s just being superficial: While it values surface beauty, Aestheticism was a serious philosophical stance against the crushing utilitarianism and ugliness of the Industrial Revolution.
  • It’s immoral: Aesthetes argued they were amoral (outside morality), not immoral. They believed beauty was a higher truth than conventional morality.
  • Decadence: A darker cousin of Aestheticism, focusing on decay, sickness, and the artificial over the natural.
  • Dandyism: The practice of dressing and behaving with extreme elegance and affectation. The Dandy is the hero of Aestheticism.
  • Pre-Raphaelites: An earlier movement that influenced Aestheticism with its focus on beauty and medievalism, though Pre-Raphaelites were often more moralistic.

Applications

  • Interior Design: The “House Beautiful” movement brought Aesthetic principles into the home, emphasizing blue-and-white china, Japanese fans, and Morris wallpapers.
  • Fashion: The rejection of corsets in favor of loose, flowing “artistic dress” was an Aesthetic innovation.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Elitism: It was a movement for the leisure class. “Art for art’s sake” is a luxury that the working class, struggling for survival, could rarely afford.
  • Disconnect from Reality: By refusing to engage with social issues, Aestheticism can be seen as escapist and irresponsible.

Further Reading

  • Pater, Walter. The Renaissance. 1873. (The “Conclusion” is the manifesto of the movement).
  • Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 1890.
  • Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. 1987.