How Do You Spell AESTHETICISM?

Pronunciation: [iːsθˈɛtɪsˌɪzəm] (IPA)

The word "aestheticism" is spelled with the letter combination "ae," which is pronounced as a single vowel sound "/iː/." The word is pronounced as "/iːsˈθetɪsɪzəm/." Aestheticism is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the late 19th century emphasizing aesthetic values over socio-political themes. It rejected the traditional moral and social norms, aiming for more individualistic and hedonistic lifestyles. Prominent figures associated with aestheticism include Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley. The term "aestheticism" reflects the movement's devotion to beauty, art, and sensual experiences.

AESTHETICISM Meaning and Definition

  1. Aestheticism is a philosophical and artistic movement that emerged in the late 19th century as a reaction against the moral and social conventions of Victorian society. It is centered around the belief in the absolute primacy of beauty and the pursuit of aesthetic experience as the highest form of representation and expression. Aesthetes reject the notion that art serves a didactic or moral purpose, advocating instead for the intrinsic value of art for its own sake.

    Often associated with art, literature, and fashion, aestheticism places a strong emphasis on sensory pleasure, innovation, and originality. It celebrates the sensuous, the decorative, and the ornamental, rejecting the utilitarian and the mundane. Aestheticism places great importance on the cultivation and refinement of taste and the pursuit of an elevated, refined lifestyle.

    Aesthetes aim to create and appreciate art that evokes emotional responses, stimulates the senses, and challenges conventional notions of beauty. They emphasize individuality and self-expression, seeking to liberate art from the constraints of societal morality and conventionality. Symbolism is often employed to represent ideas and emotions in an indirect and suggestive manner.

    Although aestheticism faced criticism for its apparent detachment from social issues, the movement had a profound influence on art, literature, and design, inspiring subsequent movements like Art Nouveau and Modernism. Aestheticism remains a significant cultural and intellectual force, still championing the power of beauty and the pursuit of aesthetic experience in contemporary society.

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Etymology of AESTHETICISM

The word "aestheticism" derives from the noun "aesthetic", which comes from the Greek word "aisthēsis" meaning "perception" or "sensation". In the mid-18th century, the German philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten first used the term "aesthetik" to refer to the study of sensory perception and beauty. Later, in the 19th century, the English philosopher and poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge anglicized the term, coining the word "aesthetic" in English to denote the philosophy of beauty and art. From there, "aestheticism" emerged in the late 19th century to describe a movement that put an emphasis on the pursuit of beauty, art, and sensory experience for its own sake.

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