Estetismo

Estetismo, also known as Aestheticism, was an international art movement and literary philosophy that emerged in the second half of the 19th century. Its core tenet was summed up by the phrase "art for art's sake," emphasizing that art should be judged on its own aesthetic merits rather than for any moral, didactic, or social purpose. Proponents of Estetismo believed that art's primary function was to provide beauty and sensory pleasure, and that the pursuit of beauty was the highest ideal.

This movement reacted against the prevailing Victorian emphasis on morality and realism in art. Instead, Estetismo championed craftsmanship, elegance, and the exploration of sensual and subjective experiences. Key figures in literature included Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater, and Algernon Charles Swinburne, while in painting, artists like James McNeill Whistler and Dante Gabriel Rossetti were associated with its ideals. The movement often explored themes of decadence, exoticism, and the artificial over the natural.

Estetismo found expression in various art forms, including painting, literature, poetry, and decorative arts. It influenced interior design and fashion, promoting refined tastes and luxurious aesthetics. While its peak influence was in the late Victorian era, its ideas continued to resonate and evolve into subsequent artistic movements, contributing to the broader modernist discourse.