1860–1900
Aesthetic Movement
The whole house as one object
The Aesthetic Movement treated decoration as a moral position: a room should be beautiful before it is useful, and everything in it — wallpaper, chair, teapot — should belong to the same argument. William Morris's firm supplied the textiles and the wallpapers; the furniture came ebonised, gilt and incised, often quoting Japan.
It is the first movement in this museum that is about taste rather than construction. The object is judged by whether it contributes to the room, which is why so much of it is difficult to date precisely and easy to recognise instantly.
History
The Morris years (1861–1890) establish the vocabulary: ebonised wood, painted panels, and pattern applied to every surface.
The Eastlake phase (1870–1890) supplies the furniture style most often confused with it — geometric incised carving rather than applied ornament.
The 1890s diffusion is Liberty and the department stores, where the movement becomes a look available by the yard.
What to look for
Ebonised wood with incised gilt lines, Japanese motifs used decoratively, and Morris patterns that can be identified by name.
Within this
Each has its own page, with its own searches.
Search the collection
The searches this style is worth looking at. Each opens the collection for it.