Aesthete

DEFINITION

The word asethete (pronounced es-theet, from the Greek aisthetes, meaning: a person who perceives) refers to a person who has or professes to have refined sensitivity toward the beauties of art or nature. The aesthete is only concerned with those things pertaining to that which arouses sensitivity to beauty and emotion, as opposed to the practical, intellectual, or scientific. An Aesthetic response is an appreciation of such beauty, and Aesthetes are persons who subscribes to this philosophy and regard themselves as having special sensitivity to beauty. <br><br>The Aesthetic Movement began in the late 19th century in England and was led by Walter Pater, Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley. The slogan was &quot;Art for Art&#39;s Sake&quot;, which meant that perceptions of beauty superseded all social and moral considerations.<br>