In the last decades of the 19th century there was in English culture a reaction against the

principles of the Victorian Age. This reaction went away from all practical issues taking refuge
in a literary and artistic movement, the Aesthetic movement, that challenged traditional ideas
advocating a view of life in the spirit of art and the principle of art for art’s sake in which great
value was attached to form rather than subject matter. Oscar Wilde represents this movement
both in his life and in his works and his novel the Picture of Dorian Gray is an exploration of the
idea that art has nothing to do with morality.

Aestheticism
Aestheticism is an artistic movement that emerged in Europe and America during the late
19th century. late 19th-century European arts movement which centred on the doctrine
that art exists for the sake of its beauty alone, and that it need serve no political, didactic,
or other purpose. The movement began in reaction to prevailing utilitarian social
philosophies and to what was perceived as the ugliness and philistinism of the industrial
age

One of the starting points of this movement was the emergence of works such as Walter
Pater's "Studies in the History of the Renaissance" (1873), in which Pater emphasized the
importance of the experience of beauty in human life. The movement grew with the
contributions of other artists and writers such as Oscar Wilde, whose work often explored
themes such as beauty, pleasure, and the rejection of rigid social norms.

Aestheticism reached its peak in the 1890s but began to fade in the early 20th century.
This movement made a significant contribution to the development of art and literature
during its time, especially in terms of stylistic innovation and new approaches to beauty.
However, aesthetics has also received criticism because it is considered a movement that
is too individualistic and ignores existing social realities.
The main characteristics of aesthetics include:
• Emphasis on beauty: Aestheticians believe that beauty is the primary goal of art and
literature. They strive to create works that are visually appealing, harmonious and
aesthetic.
• Rejection of morality: Aestheticians rejected the moral and social responsibilities
expected of artists during the Victorian era. They believed that art should be free from
moral constraints and focused solely on the search for beauty.
• Celebration of individualism: Aestheticians celebrate individualism and the freedom
to pursue one's own artistic vision, regardless of societal expectations or moral norms.

The anti-aesthetic
Anti-aesthetic refers to an attitude or approach that opposes or rejects traditional values
of aesthetics or beauty in art. The term is often used to describe contemporary art movements
that challenge convention and experiment with form, content, and media that are considered
"anti-aesthetic" or unconventional.

The anti-aesthetic movement often rejected the view that art should be beautiful or visually
pleasing, preferring instead to present works of art that provoke, confuse, or challenge the
viewer. One famous example of an anti-aesthetic movement is Dadaism, which emerged during
World War I and expressed dissatisfaction with existing social and political norms.

Anti-aesthetic movements can be considered a response to the conventions and expectations

attached to art and beauty, and often aimed to expand the boundaries of art and provoke deeper
reflection on the meaning and value of art.

Decadence
Decadence is a concept in art, literature, and culture that refers to a decline in morals,
courage, or strength in a society or individual. The term is often used to describe a period of time
in which traditional values are considered to have weakened or degraded, often accompanied by
excesses and excesses that are considered unhealthy or detrimental.

In the context of art and literature, decadence is often associated with styles or themes
that explore excessive moral or aesthetic decadence. Works associated with the decadence
movement often highlight emptiness, desolation, or emptiness in life or society, and may reflect
dissatisfaction with social norms or values that are considered archaic or outmoded.

The decadence movement had a significant influence on art and literature in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries, especially in Europe, and is often seen as a reaction to modernity and
the social changes occurring at that time. One example of an art movement associated with
decadence is symbolism, which explored themes of darkness, inner life, and hidden beauty.

The main characteristics of decadence include:

• Interest in the darker aspects of life: Decadent writers were interested in the darker
aspects of the human experience, including death, decay, and the supernatural.
• Rejection of traditional morality: The decadent generation rejects traditional moral
norms and social conventions, often adopting a more permissive and hedonistic
lifestyle.
• Exploration of the human soul: Decadent writers often explored the human soul,
exploring themes of madness, the subconscious, and the search for meaning in a
seemingly meaningless world.
• Notable writers associated with the aesthetic movement and decadence include Oscar
Wilde, Algernon Charles Swinburne, and Walter Pater. These movements had a
significant impact on the development of English literature, influencing the work of
later writers such as E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot.

Aestheticism and Decadentism

Aestheticism was a literary movement which was not limited to England, but developed
throughout Europe by the middle of the 19th century. It originated in France with Théophile
Gautier and numbered among its members mainly writers and painters. Brought about by the
sense of frustration and uncertainty that marked the closing years of the century it expanded as a
reaction against the utilitarian outlook and the moral restrictions of the bourgeois society.
Adopting Gautier’s slogan, ‘Art for Art’s sake’ the aesthetic writers broke with the conventions
of the time and gave free rein to imagination and fantasy, taking their theories and attitudes to
extremes. They applied their ‘canons’ not only to their work but to their lives as well and lived
an extravagant life, devoted to the cult of art and beauty and always rich in creative [Link]
painting, the Aesthetic theories led to impressionism (Renoir, Manet, Monet). In literature, after
a first period, Aestheticism slowly degenerated into what, between 1880 and 1890, was better
known as Decadentism and after 1890, in France, was replaced by the term ‘Symbolism’.

Decadentism was marked by a sort of extremism in which the main traits of Aestheticism
underwent a process of refinement which developed until finally toppled into the absurd, the
distasteful and the futile. Disregarding the simple genuine values of life and disdaining
mediocrity, the Decadents cut themselves off from the masses. Writers, especially the French
ones, were charmed by imaginary and artificial worlds where illusion replaced reality and they
often delved intovice and corruption. Among the most noted exponents of European
Decadentism, besides the French poets Mallarmé,Verlaine, Laforgue, Corbière (better known as
Symbolists) three were particularly outstanding:

* Joris Karl Huysmans (1848-1907) who wrote À Rebours (1884);

* Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863-1938) especially for his novel Il Piacere (1889);

* Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) mainly because of Dorian Gray, the protagonist of his only novel,
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891