L’art pour L’art
"Art for art's sake" is the usual English rendering of a French slogan from the early 19th century, "l'art pour l'art", expresses a philosophy that the intrinsic value of art, and the only "true" art, is divorced from any didactic, moral, or utilitarian function.
Aesthete artists attempted to reform design and culture and believed that art in its various forms should not seek to convey a moral, sentimental or educational message but should give sensual pleasure. This would have been important to apply to everything visual because our surroundings can connect us to something. Their aim was “to exist beautifully”.
Théophile Gautier, a French poet wrote “L’art pour l’art” in the preface to his book, Mademoiselle de Maupin in 1835. “L’art pour l’art” translates in English to “art for art’s sake” Walter Pater, a writer and art critic, included this expression in reviews and essays such as ‘Studies in the History of the Renaissance’ compiled in 1873, he writes, “Of such wisdom, the poetic passion, the desire of beauty, the love of art for its own sake, has most. For art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality of your moments as they pass, and simply for these moments sake.”
Oscar Wilde was another advocate of the movement especially influenced as a student by Walter Pater. Wilde was focused on principles of Aestheticism, his early poetry and years of lectures throughout America, England and Ireland detailed his pursuit of beauty. His aim, to be surrounded by it and see it for nothing more than beauty alone. Morality was not essential and his own creative work reflected this, the intention was to capture and imagine aesthetic allure without it being tainted by social or political issues. Wilde lived his life as a work of art and argued that what is seen is taught by literature and art, if all art was beautiful, that is was everyone would see, explaining that life should imitate art. The sense was bohemian and generally people were fascinated, and, although criticised in the press, Aesthetes were creating an escape from normality. They were rebelling in order to state that beauty can be extracted from everything.