Aestheticism, also known as the aesthetic movement, was a literary and artistic movement of the late nineteenth century that valued the beauty and appearance of a work over its moral or practical purpose, summed up in the phrase art for art's sake. It flourished in the 1870s and 1880s with the support of writers including Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde, whose plays and criticism became its best known English language expression. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Period, From (Year)Sources date the movement's flourishing broadly to the 1870s and 1880s rather than to one founding year. Connections
Associated Authors
Source Oscar Wilde (Wikipedia)
Associated With
Parnassianism, Movements Parnassianism's art-for-art's-sake doctrine parallels English Aestheticism as a cross-national current.
Source The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wikipedia)
Influenced
Influenced By
Open Questions
Source Aestheticism (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Aestheticism (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Lead section
Aestheticism (also known as the aesthetic movement) was an art movement in the late 19th century that valued the appearance of literature, music, fonts, and the arts over their functions.
Figures section
Aestheticism flourished, in the 1870s and 1880s, gaining prominence and the support of notable writers, such as Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde.
View the Source Oscar Wilde (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Associated Authors: Oscar Wilde, Aestheticism sectionQuote, Associated Authors: Oscar Wilde, Aestheticism section
He was a key figure in the emerging Aestheticism movement of the late 19th century and is widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the Victorian era.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Associated With: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Preface sectionView the Source Open Questions (1 open question)
When did the Aestheticism movement end?
Sources describe the movement flourishing through the 1870s and 1880s but name no closing year, decline event, or work marking its end; checked in full for a decline date, the Wilde trial, or a turn-of-the-century marker, none given.
What would resolve this A literary-historical source anchoring Aestheticism's decline to a specific year, event, or work rather than a decade-level description.
Literary history and periodization scholarshipAestheticism (Wikipedia)
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.