20. The Aesthetic Movement - Art For Art's Sake

What was it about? What were the goals?

A bit of historical context:

The underlying philosophy of the period:

How was it represented in the other arts – music, architecture, and literature?

What made it great?

Some of the leading figures:

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

William Morris (1834-1906) (textile designer)

John Godward (1861-1922)

Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)

Some of the most famous artworks of the time:

Symphony in White, No. 1, The White Girl, by James McNeill Whistler, 1862

Hard as it may be to believe, this painting shocked audiences and was rejected by both the Paris Salon and the Royal Academy Exhibition. People were upset they couldn’t connect the girl to any literary work or story. Who is she? She’s nobody? Scandalous!

Arrangement in Gray & Black, no. 1 (portrait of the artist’s mother), by Whistler, 1871

While the Royal Academy in London allowed Whistler to exhibit this, they added to the title, explaining it was Whistler’s mother. He preferred his original title, since, why would it matter to anyone else who the sitter was? It turned out, lots of people cared. The work has become an icon of motherhood, and has been copied and imitated countless times. It’s one of the most famous and popular American paintings of all time. It was also much more popular in France where it was bought by a museum, helping Whistler improve his reputation. Martha Tedeschi explained, “Whistler's Mother, Wood's American Gothic, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch's The Scream have all achieved something that most paintings—regardless of their art historical importance, beauty, or monetary value—have not: they communicate a specific meaning almost immediately to almost every viewer.”

Nocturne in Black & Gold: The Falling Rocket, by James McNeill Whistler, 1875

This work started a legal dispute between the artist and art critic John Ruskin, who claimed Whistler was “flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.” Whistler sued Ruskin for slander, and although he won the case, it bankrupted him, as the jury awarded Whistler just one farthing.

The Golden Stairs, by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, 1880

This is one of the most famous examples of an Aesthetic painting that seems to tell a story, but relates to none. If you want this to tell a story, you have to make it up yourself. The beautiful young women here became a standard of “aesthetic” beauty in the movement. Note, many of the women carry musical instruments. Music itself evokes emotions without telling a story. These artists felt their painting should act the same way. The critic Walter Pater said, “All art constantly aspires toward the condition of music.” This work was shown not in the Royal Academy, but at a private gallery. It was quite popular and inspired Gilbert & Sullivan to make a parody of it with their play, Patience, in 1881.