Aestheticism is the philosophy that art should be valued for its beauty alone rather than for any moral, social or narrative purpose, often summed up in the phrase art for art's sake. In Britain it gave rise to the Aesthetic Movement of the 1860s to 1880s, which influenced painting, literature, furniture, interiors and the decorative arts.
Leading figures included the painters James McNeill Whistler, Albert Moore and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the writers Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde, and designers such as E. W. Godwin, Christopher Dresser and Thomas Jeckyll. Aesthetic taste drew heavily on Japanese art, which became widely known in Britain after the 1862 International Exhibition, as well as on classical and medieval sources. Characteristic features include ebonised furniture with gilded incised decoration, blue and white porcelain, peacock feathers, sunflowers, lilies, soft greens and muted colours, and carefully arranged interiors. Retailers such as Liberty helped bring the style to a wider public. Collectors look for pieces by identifiable designers or makers, good quality ebonising and decoration, and objects that capture the movement's refined, artistic character, which sits easily in contemporary interiors.
