Category:Aesthetic Movement

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Peacock Room (1876-77).

The Aesthetic Movement was a hugely-influential decorative arts style of the late-1860s, 1870s and 1880s. Inspired by Japanese prints and porcelains, and under the motto "Art for Art's sake," it was led by British designers such as Christopher Dresser, Charles Eastlake and Edward William Godwin. Natural forms were abstracted, and emphasis was placed on surface decoration and the honest use of materials. This was in contrast to the ornamental excesses of the Rococo Revival and Second Empire styles. Pre-Raphaelite painters and designer William Morris followed a parallel artistic path, inspired by Medieval art and illuminated manuscripts. Subsequent decorative arts styles include the Arts & Crafts Movement and the Art Nouveau.

In the United States, designers such as the Herter Brothers and Kimbel & Cabus in New York City, and Frank Furness and Daniel Pabst in Philadelphia created distinctive works. Dresser lectured in Philadelphia in 1876 (while on his way to Japan), and the new style was seen by millions at the Centennial Exposition.

Perhaps the ultimate Aesthetic Movement icon was the Peacock Room (1876-77), an English diningroom designed by Thomas Jeckyll and extravagantly decorated with murals by James McNeill Whistler. It is now housed in the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Media in category "Aesthetic Movement"

The following 81 files are in this category, out of 81 total.

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