Aestheticism: Art for Art's Sake

 

INTRODUCTION:    

Aestheticism is a movement of art and literature which emerged during the 18^th century and developed further during the 19^th century. It emphasizes on the following principle:

“Art exists for the sake of its beauty alone, and that it need serve no political, didactic, or other purpose.”

This new movement was revolutionary as it discarded all old notions regarding the functions of art. Traditionally it was believed that art has a serious role to play, the artists have some serious social responsibility on their shoulders. To teach (Plato), to please or delight (Aristotle, Sidney), to move (Longinus), to instruct (Dryden) were considered as the functions of poetry.

KANT AS THE PIONEER OF AESTHETICISM:

Immanuel Kant, a Prussian scholar (18^th century) was not happy with all these traditional theories regarding the functions of art and literature. He could well recite the words of Hamlet:

 “The time is out of joint, O cursed spite

That ever I was born, to set it right.”

Kant rejected all ideological, philosophical, social or moral connections of literature. He strongly believed that art has no function at all. Art is not for the sake of society or readers. Teaching moral lesion is the job of a philosopher, not an artist. Reforming the society is the job of a social reformer, not an artist. Hence, he popularized the dictum, “Art for art’s sake.” The followers of Aestheticism separated art from morality.

“Life is short; they live constantly under the shadow of death. So, they hurry to enjoy. Pleasure lies in one’s sensations and experiences derived from the beautiful.”

FEATURES OF AESTHETIC LITERATURE:

1.   Art should provide refined sensuous pleasure.

2.   Aesthetic artist rejects Matthew Arnold and John Ruskin’s theory – “Art is for life’s sake.” They believed in the new theory – “Art is for art’s sake.”

3.   No story, no moral or social messages.

4.   Art must be beautiful, and the artist must seek beauty in nature. “To define beauty, not in the abstract but in the concrete terms … is the aim of the true student of aesthetics.”

5.   In aesthetic literature, ideas are suggested with the help of symbols, not directly expressed.

6.   Here, emphasis is more on the sensations – five human senses (taste, smell, appearance, color and texture).

MAJOR FOLLOWERS OF AESTHETICISM:

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Swinburne (1837-1909), Symonds (1840-1893), Vernon Lee (1865-1935), Arthur Symons (1865-1945), Ernest Dowson (1867-1900) and others were the major followers of aestheticism in English literature. Moreover, D. G. Rossetti and William Morris were the pre-Raphaelite poets who further enhanced this movement during the 19^th century. The Victorian critics like Walter Pater too supported this aestheticism in all arts.

CONCLUSION:                

In this way, we may summarize the theory of aestheticism in the words of John Keats, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” The followers of aestheticism confirmed that “Art is for art’s sake.” They rejected moral or social responsibilities. Art has no function. The artist must seek beauty in all things and that beauty must give him sensuous pleasure. That’s all. Oscar Wilde, Swinburne, D. G. Rossetti and Walter Pater were the exponents of aestheticism during the 19^th century who developed a new cult (a social group) and worshipped beauty only.

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Walter Pater: Art for Art's Sake