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Aestheticism
Aestheticism. A term applied to exaggerated expression of the doctrine that art is self-sufficient and need serve no ulterior purpose, whether moral, social, political, or religious. Both the doctrine and its exaggeration are succinctly expressed in the phrase ‘art for art's sake’, which in England became the slogan of the ‘Aesthetic Movement’ in the late 19th century. The phrase was used first in French (‘l'art pour l'art’), the earliest known occurrence being in 1818, in lectures at the Sorbonne, Paris, by the philosopher Victor Cousin (1792–1867); they were published in 1836 as Du vrai, du beau, et du bien. In English, one of the first to use the phrase, in 1868, was Walter Pater, who ranks among the key figures of the Aesthetic Movement. Among the others were Whistler and Oscar Wilde, both of them notorious dandies, and the movement was often satirized for its tendency towards preciousness and affectation, most notably in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience (see Grosvenor Gallery). Nevertheless, the movement helped to focus attention on the formal qualities of works of art, and so contributed to the critical outlook of writers such as Berenson and Fry.
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Cite this article
IAN CHILVERS. "Aestheticism." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "Aestheticism." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-Aestheticism.html IAN CHILVERS. "Aestheticism." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-Aestheticism.html |
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Aestheticism
Aestheticism. A term applied to exaggerated expression of the doctrine that art is self-sufficient and need serve no ulterior purpose, whether moral, political, or religious. Both the doctrine and its exaggeration are succinctly expressed in the phrase ‘art for art's sake’, which in England became the catchword of the ‘Aesthetic Movement’ in the late 19th century. Central figures of the movement include Whistler and Oscar Wilde, both of them notorious dandies, and the movement was often satirized for its tendency towards preciousness and affectation, most notably in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience (see Grosvenor Gallery). Nevertheless, the movement helped to focus attention on the formal qualities of works of art, and so contributed to the critical outlook of writers such as Berenson and Fry.
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Cite this article
IAN CHILVERS. "Aestheticism." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "Aestheticism." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-Aestheticism.html IAN CHILVERS. "Aestheticism." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-Aestheticism.html |
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