609.唯美主义和为艺术而艺术的关系

Reader86

Aestheticism and the idea of “art for art’s sake” are deeply interconnected—essentially, “art for art’s sake” is the core philosophy of aestheticism. Here’s how they relate and reinforce each other:

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???? What is Aestheticism?

Aestheticism was a 19th-century artistic and literary movement (especially in Britain and France) that emphasized:
        •        Beauty over morality
        •        Form over function
        •        Sensory experience over narrative meaning

It emerged as a reaction against Victorian utilitarianism and moralistic art, arguing that art should exist independently of social, political, or moral agendas.

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????️ “Art for Art’s Sake” — The Motto
        •        French origin: L’art pour l’art
        •        Popularized by writers like Théophile Gautier, and later embraced by figures like Oscar Wilde, James McNeill Whistler, and Walter Pater.

It asserts:

Art doesn’t need a purpose outside itself.
It doesn’t have to teach, preach, or serve politics or religion.

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Relationship Between the Two:

Aestheticism
“Art for Art’s Sake”

A broader movement in art & literature
A slogan or guiding principle

Focuses on beauty, form, and style
Asserts art’s autonomy from morality or utility

Promoted by artists, writers, and critics
Serves as its central philosophy

Seen in the works of Wilde, Pater, Whistler
Literally expressed in essays and manifestos

Reader86

They go hand in hand:

Aestheticism is the cultural practice, and
“Art for art’s sake” is the ideology behind it.

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Key Figures:
        •        James McNeill Whistler – focused on composition and color harmony
        •        Oscar Wilde – believed in beauty as the highest value; The Picture of Dorian Gray is a literary expression of aestheticism
        •        Walter Pater – wrote essays that laid the intellectual foundation for the movement
        •        Théophile Gautier – coined and defended l’art pour l’art

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Summary:
        •        “Art for art’s sake” is the motto, and
        •        Aestheticism is the movement that embodied it.

Would you like examples of how this philosophy appears in specific artworks or literature?