Aestheticism ( also the Aesthetic Movement ) is an intellectual and art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values more than social-political themes for literature , fine art , music and other arts . It was particularly prominent in Europe during the 19th century , supported by notable figures such as Oscar Wilde , but contemporary critics are also associated with the movement , such as Harold Bloom , who has recently argued against projecting social and political ideology onto literary works , which he believes has been a growing problem in humanities departments over the last century .
Aestheticism favors aesthetics over socio-political themes.