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Finding a New Aesthetic: The Cult of Beauty

The Victoria and Albert Museum’s latest blockbuster exhibition, The Cult of Beauty:The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900, celebrates the development of the Aesthetic Movement in Victorian England. The V&A is a particularly appropriate venue for such an exhibition because the Aesthetic Movement is at the very heart of its inception. The Victorian and Edwardian Decorative Art exhibition for the museum’s centennial in 1952, was the first time the Aesthetic Movement was examined and was critical in

establishing its significance in the history of art and design.

The Cult of Beauty is the first blockbuster exhibition to comprehensively examine all of the components of the Aesthetic Movement and is comprised of fine and decorative arts, literature, design, and dress. Spanning the forty years from 1860-1900, the exhibition includes works by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, Frederic Leighton, and James McNeill Whistler, among others. The Aesthetic Movement sought a new

way of instilling beauty in everyday life and created a new fashion for Victorian art and design. According to the V&A, the movement had a “desire to escape the ugliness and materialism of the age and find a new beauty.” Anyone interested in design should not miss this exhibition, as the effects of the Aesthetic Movement can still be seen today in interior decoration. Further, the Aesthetes have influenced the works of contemporary artists such as David Thorpe.

Above, James McNeill Whistler’s, Symphony in White No. 1: The White Girl, 1862 and right, Frederic Leighton’s Pavonia, 1888, are both highlights of the Cult of Beauty exhibition at the V&A.

THE GUARDIAN

by Nicole Wellman

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While the pictures, furniture, and decorative arts of the Aesthetic movement may not seem controversial today, it was considered avant-garde in the nineteenth century. The bohemian and maverick artists of the movement challenged the academic tradition of art, establishment, and notions of morality. Tales of morality and social function are absent from the subject matter, leaving only beauty as the purpose for its creation. The Aesthetic Movement was more than a group of artists sharing similar views on art and design. It was a lifestyle. It captured public fascination and has remained one of the most influential movements in the history of British design.

If you have some prior knowledge of the Aesthetic Movement then you are sure to find some hidden treasures, like this peacock charger designed by William De Morgan in 1888, shown below. The exhibition adequately displays the diversity of the movement, including terrific examples of art and design as well as the anecdotes that make this period so interesting, for example Whistler’s court battle with art critic John Ruskin. For those not familiar with the Aesthetic Movement

but interested in its history, it is suggested that you do a little research prior to attending the exhibition. While the exhibition adequately provides historical and contextual information, some familiarity would make visiting the exhibition more enjoyable due to the sheer size of the exhibition and the wealth of information provided. The nature of the movement makes this exhibition enjoyable even for those with no interest in the history or significance of the movement but can appreciate the beauty it created. The motto of the Aesthetes was “Art for Art’s Sake” and in that area this exhibition does not disappoint. Some of the highlights include Whistler’s Symphony

in White Series as well as several beautiful paintings by Rossetti including the 1872 painting Veronica Veronese featuring his unconventionally beautiful muse Lizzie Siddal. The exhibition is worth a visit if for no other reason than to see the extensive presentation of works by some of the best Victorian artists.

The exhibition greets you with a selection of objects from various artistic disciplines including ceramics, photographs, painting, sculpture, and literature. The V&A has gone with a chronological style exhibition, exploring the development of the movement through four different periods. “The Search for a New Beauty 1860s” tells the story of a small

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This charger by William De Morgan, 1888, displays a peacock motif, which was popular for interior decoration during the Aesthetic Movement.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Veronica Veronese, 1872, highlights the unconventional beauty of his muse Lizzie Siddal.

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group of artists that wanted to change the purpose of beauty and the stereotypical notions of it. A beautiful collection of Pre-Raphaelite and Olympian paintings are presented including Leighton’s Pavonia, painted in 1858. “Art for Art’s Sake 1860s-70s” shifts the focus to the importance of the Grosvener Gallery, an alternative to the Royal Academy for the Aesthetes. This section also brings together both fine and decorative arts to illustrate the eclectic influences on the artists and craftsmen of this movement. “Beautiful People and Aesthetic Houses 1870s-80s” shows the development of the artistic movement, introducing fashion, literature, interior decor, and the various other elements needed to live the aesthetic lifestyle. Finally, “Late Flowering Beauty 1880s-90s” focuses on the commercialism of the Aesthetic Movement and the mature work of its followers.

Each section is marked by a different bright, bold wall color, and has been decorated with projections of symbols commonly associated with the aesthetic movement such as peacocks and flowers. The overall look conveys a modern aesthetic, which seems appropriate given the Aesthetic movement was a symbol of modernity during the late 19th century. The layout of the exhibition is confusing, with several oddly shaped spaces that detract from the flow. One particular example is the recreation of Rossetti’s bedroom, which features three small, oddly shaped windows that allows the viewer to peer into the space. While this sounds very interesting in theory, in practice it disrupts the flow of the exhibition and makes it difficult to see the objects in the room. There is a beautiful selection of objects, but the

exhibition feels cluttered. With over 250 objects, the overall presentation could have benefited from some editing, especially since some of the objects are not particularly good examples of what they are meant to illustrate. Don’t be overwhelmed by the sheer number of objects and enjoy the highlights, as this exhibition has many.

The objects are mostly displayed in a traditional museum setting, which could have been more compelling in a recreated interior space. The digital recreation of the famous Peacock Room, now housed in the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C., failed to create the same ambience that a tangible interior space would. Not in the exhibition but in the permanent collection of the V&A is The Green Dining Room, a William Morris designed interior that was commissioned in 1866, and conveys the overall feel of an aesthetic interior.

Ample wall text throughout the exhibition provides an adequate amount of information but the smaller accompanying text for the objects is awkwardly placed, often after you have already seen the works it describes. Further, the text reads like a catalogue entry, providing a good description of the object, but failing, in most cases, to tie the object to anything else exhibited in that room. Therefore, the exhibition catalogue is a must for anyone interested in anything beyond the superficial relationships between the artists and the objects. However, the exhibition does manage to make connections between the Aesthetes and the inspiration they received from Islamic and Asian cultures. One example of this is a collection of blue and white Chinese porcelain carefully arranged next to a painting by

Whistler featuring the same subject. Overall the exhibition is beautiful but overwhelming.

Despite some clear misses in the way the exhibition was curated, the exhibition provides a thorough look at the Aesthetic Movement and contains an amazing body of work by some of Britain’s most celebrated artists. The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900 runs at the Victoria and Albert Museum until 17 July 2011. For more information visit the exhibition website at www.vam.ac.uk/cultofbeauty.

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