a Brief Introduction to Aestheticism Definition Divotion to and pursuit of the beautiful Sensitivity to artistic beauty and refined taste Doctrine: Beauty is the basic principle from which all other principles, especially moral ones The Aesthetic Movement was a 19th century European art movement that em phasized aesthetic values more than socio-political themes for literature, fine art, the decorative arts, and interior design. It was part of the anti-19th century reaction and had post-Romantic origins, and as such anticipates modernism. It was a feature of the late 19th century from about 1868 to about 1900 art for art s sakeA Brief Introduction to Aestheticism Definition: Divotion to and pursuit of the beautiful; Sensitivity to artistic beauty and refined taste Doctrine: Beauty is the basic principle from which all other principles, especially moral ones. The Aesthetic Movement was a 19th century European art movement that emphasized aesthetic values more than socio-political themes for literature, fine art, the decorative arts, and interior design. It was part of the anti-19th century reaction and had post-Romantic origins, and as such anticipates modernism. It was a feature of the late 19th century from about 1868 to about 1900