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Aestheticism

By Esther Lombardi, About.com

Definition:

The precepts of aestheticism insisted on "art for arts sake." The movement developed in Europe in the late 19th century, encouraging the separation of morality from artistic value.
Also Known As:

Aesthetic movement
Common Misspellings:

Estheticism, asthetic
Examples:

Charles Baudelaire, Aubrey Beardsley, Max Beerbohm, Gustave Flaubert, J.K. Huysmans, Stephane Mallarme, Walter Pater, James McNeill Whistler, Oscar Wilde ("The Art of Lying")

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