noun
aestheticism; estheticism
A philosophical and artistic movement that values beauty above all else. Often contrasted with 耽美主義, which emphasizes decadence and sensual beauty.
See also: 耽美主義
唯美主義は19世紀後半のヨーロッパで盛んになった。
Aestheticism flourished in late 19th-century Europe.
彼の作品には唯美主義の影響が強く見られる。
His works show a strong influence of aestheticism.
耽美主義 focuses on decadent, sensual beauty and is often associated with the Decadent movement, while 唯美主義 is a broader term for art-for-art's-sake philosophy.
A compound of 唯 (solely), 美 (beauty), and 主義 (principle/ism), likely coined as a translation of the Western concept of aestheticism.