ABSTRACT
Aestheticism was not one simple phenomenon, but a group of related phenomena, all reflecting a conviction that the enjoyment of beauty can by itself give value and meaning to life. The concept of aestheticism that included both Ruskin and Wilde would be broad to the point of nebulousness. Aestheticism probably connotes, in many minds, the literature and art of the nineties. Aestheticism commonly attaches a high value to 'form' in art, the value of a work of art being dependent on form rather than on subject–matter. Walter Pater's aestheticism could easily fall foul of any rigid moral prohibitions; and it was genuinely opposed to the spirit of puritan morality. Hostile critics of The Renaissance were right to recognize something subversive of commonly received standards. In the conclusion of The Renaissance Pater conveys a world–weary scepticism. Contemplative aestheticism can, however, assume more positive moral implications than it does in the conclusion of The Renaissance.
