An Analysis of Leo Tolstoy’s Definition of Art

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In his paper ‘What is art?’ (1897), Tolstoy states that art is not the mere expression of beauty or emotion; it provides no pleasure nor is that its sole purpose. Art is not an opportunity for catharsis or an activity to occupy the minds of idle beings. Instead, "art is a human activity consisting in this, that one consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on others feelings he has lived through and that other people are infected by these feelings also experience them" (Tolstoy). In essence, the concept of art is an artist’s depiction of morality based on experience. Tolstoy’s essay on art sparked quite the reaction from the public because it openly criticized some of the world’s most renowned artists and completely disputed common beliefs regarding art. In this essay Tolstoy’s definition is analyzed through an empirical lens in an attempt to expose the incongruity of Tolstoy’s definition of art A necessary condition is one that must be satisfied before the concept at hand is attained. Basically, the necessary condition(s) of x need to be fully satisfied in order for x to be attained. For example, to receive course credits at the University of Victoria, a student must write and pass the final examination. Even with the fulfillment of every other condition, the course cannot be passed without achieving a score of at least 5o% on the final exam. Similarly, a square cannot be obtained if it does not have four equal sides and two lines cannot be parallel if they eventually meet. According to Tolstoy, there is one necessary condition of art; it must facilitate the transfer of emotion, allowing a person to re-experience the feelings of the artisan during the creation of the art piece. According to Aristotle and Plato, ther... ... middle of paper ... ...ed to an objective criterion that fails to capture every art form. Several amendments to Tolstoy’s definition are subsequently necessary. It is my personal view that art can be more suitably defined as an expression of emotion; it is uniquely beautiful depending on the perceiver; it provides pleasure, entertainment, enlightenment, education, appeasement and a variety of other emotions to people, depending solely on a person's experiences and interactions with the art piece. However, it is important that the distinction between regular forms of art and exceptional forms is drawn. Exceptional art is globally recognized by majority of critics and regular art forms comprise of the five imitative arts. The concept of art is unique and provides each person with a differing experience. In the words of the artist Ad Reinhardt, "art is art. Everything is everything else."

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