‘Art for Art’s Sake’ was a slogan, a call for art’s freedom from the demands of authoritarianism to address the‘meaning’ and ‘purpose’. From a progressive modernist’s point of view, that wanted to liberate from the bourgeois sentiment. Early morning’s beauties of serenity (plate 5A), Oscar Wild’s ‘young girl’s sublime beauty’ (plate 5B) and delicate and sublime colour (plate 5C) of two women, are some of the expressions that emerged out of such freedom of expression.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, writes in his book on The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies, published in 1890 that ‘Art should be independent of all claptrap – should stand alone, and appeal to the artistic sense of eye and ear, without confounding this with emotions entirely foreign to it, as devotion, pity, love, patriotism, and the like. All these have no kind of concern with it.’

In his essay ‘The Soul of Man under Socialism,’ published in 1891 in the Pall Mall Gazette, Oscar Wilde wrote, “A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want. Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or a dishonest tradesman. He has no further claim to be considered as an artist.”

Conclusion

The middle of 19th century in Europe witnessed the rise of the sentiment towards freedom of expressions and protest against the monarchy and the bourgeois class. Large number of common people started demanding their own choice of expression and liberty of freedom from the traditional doctrine. The liberty and freedom became the foundation stone for the Modern Period. French Revolution gave birth to the new era that resulted in social revolution through various creative expressions.

‘Art for Art’s Sake’ became the fountainhead of the neo-modernism. It introduced new thinking challenging the established theories and believes in art. It is the beginning of an era that led to influence in every field of creativity including the field of design.