"Art for art's sake" is the slogan of aestheticism literature school.

Aestheticism is a philosophical trend popular in Europe at the end of 19, which advocates "art for art's sake" and emphasizes the non-utility and independence of art.

The main characteristics of aestheticism literature

Aestheticism literature has obvious individualism and hedonism tendency. Of course, the pursuit of form, skill, pure beauty and subjective creation is one-sided. For example, it is neither desirable nor possible to exclude elements such as nature, society, times, science and morality from art. Aestheticism literature has obvious individualism and hedonism tendency.

However, it shocked the world with its bold "strange talk" and opposed the vulgar life and money worship of society with a strong anti-vulgar spirit, especially its discussion of the inherent laws of literature and art, indicating that literature began to enter the "conscious era." Of course, the pursuit of form, skill, pure beauty and subjective creation is one-sided. For example, it is neither desirable nor possible to exclude elements such as nature, society, times, science and morality from art.

Therefore, at a certain time, people will naturally abandon it. But just like its existence, it has a wide and far-reaching influence on western modernist literary theory and literature (it has a great influence on surrealism, expressionism, futurism and other schools). Aestheticism literature is a loose wave that began to be popular in British literature and art in the late19th century. It is part of the anti-Victorian trend, and the most famous representative is Wilde.

Aestheticism pursues the beauty of art, thinks that beauty is the essence of art, advocates that life should imitate art, not art imitates life, and opposes art in order to convey moral information and utilitarian views.