How did Aestheticism promote the idea of art for art’s sake?

Aestheticism promoted the doctrine of "art for art’s sake"—or l’art pour l’art—by asserting that art exists solely for its own beauty and should be independent of political, didactic, or moral purposes.12

The movement emerged in the 19th century as a reaction against the utilitarian philosophies and perceived "ugliness" of the industrial age. Philosophically, it drew upon the work of Immanuel Kant, who argued for the autonomy of aesthetic standards, suggesting that aesthetic judgment should be a form of "disinterested contemplation" separate from practical or moral concerns.13

Proponents of Aestheticism, such as Oscar Wilde and Walter Pater, elevated the cultivation of refined sensibility as a paramount goal. In its most extreme form, this view held that the intensity of the aesthetic experience was the most significant aspect of human life, even suggesting that if art conflicted with morality, the aesthetic experience should take precedence. While this stance challenged traditional moralistic views of art, it focused critical attention on the formal aesthetics and autonomy of the creative work.14