Leo Tolstoy has extensively written on art in his book, ‘what is art’. Though he says that art is modest there are several scholars who think that his theorizing of art is perhaps the most immodest contribution to aesthetics ever written. Tolstoy is one of the greatest philosophers of the world and known for his works done on the world, life and on various other areas. This paper discusses the concept of art according to the Leo Tolstoy, test of infectiousness and several related aspects of the subject.
Tolstoy's views on art are often referred to, explained by different scholars in different ways but seldom correctly presented. Tolstoy writes about art in chapter 5 of what is Art, “Art is that human activity which consists in one’s person consciously transmitting to others, by certain external signs, the feelings he has experienced, and in others being infected by those feelings and experiencing them” .
Tolstoy in his book approaches the subject the same way as he approaches the study of every human endeavour. Tolstoy thoroughly discusses art in his book ‘what is art’, Art, according to him is a human activity and hence it must have a clear purpose and aim, noticeable by the aid of rationale and conscience. He seems to be confronted by the trinity of the aestheticians - beauty, truth, and goodness in his researches. Tolstoy considered it essential to make a distinction between the subject matter and form of art before applying his definition as yardstick of true art. First he made a distinction between art and the subject and then tried to find out that what made it real art from its counterfeited version. In this course, he probed the infectiousness as a factor. A person who is subject to an art feels attached with art of the artist and related people then the entity inducing that condition amounts a true art work. He further says that art is no way concerned with the morality and the feelings that are communicated may be either good or bad. One great quality according to the Tolstoy which makes the art work infectious in real sense is the sincerity of art and for the same reason, it becomes the most important.
After having observed the abovementioned analysis of the subject, it is good to conclude the discussion with the finding that Tolstoy has used the appropriate measures for evaluating the art and his analysis seems to be very appropriate. Tolstoy has used very strong arguments which are corroborated by the examples, visible in the real and practical life. Tolstoy has been blamed with the immodesty for being very astounding in his thoughts but for the same reason, he is liked by many. Though His study, analysis and findings on the subject have been seen and elaborated with different perspectives by different scholars. Tolstoy himself has admitted and mentioned at one place in his book that “I know his theory of art would be considered an irrational paradox at which one could only be amazed”.
Works Cited
Leo Tolstoy and Alymer Maude. "Art and Sincerity." denisdutton. 18 March 2012
Tolstoy, Leo. What is art. New York: Thomas Y.Crowell & co., 1996.
