Tolstoy justifies authoring the book by pointing to the public’s time, money, and respect for art and artists as well as the ambiguity of common attitudes toward art. “It is impossible to determine what is meant by art, and particularly what is excellent, helpful art, art for which we may condone such sacrifices as are being offered at its temple,” the author said.
Tolstoy exhibits “unremitting moralism” throughout the entire book, judging works of art in light of his extreme Christian ethics and being willing to condemn well-known authors like Wagner, Shakespeare, and Dante as well as the majority of his own works.
Tolstoy conceptualizes art as anything that conveys emotion after rejecting the use of beauty in definitions of art (see aesthetics). He states: “Art begins when a man, with the purpose of communicating to other people a feeling he once experienced, calls it up again within himself and expresses it by certain external signs.”
As long as they evoke emotion, everything can be deemed art according to this comprehensive definition of the term. It is immoral as well: “eelings
In This Article...
In an article by Leo Tolstoy, what is art?
In the piece “What is Art? War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy defined art as a means of expressing emotion with the ultimate objective of bringing people together.
What Is Art was written by Tolstoy when?
He maintained that genuine art necessitates a sensitive perception of a particular experience, a highly specific sensation that is given to the reader not by arguments but by “infection” in Chto takoye iskusstvo? (1898; What Is Art?) Most renowned works of high art, in Tolstoy’s opinion, are not the result of any real
What does the author define as art?
According to Aristotle, “The purpose of art is to reflect not the outer aspect of things, but their inner value.” Throughout the history of art, the idea that beauty or nature are being imitated in art has persisted.
Leo Tolstoy wrote What Is Art for what purpose?
Tolstoy defines art in terms of the interaction between
the viewer/perceiver of the artist as well as other observers
the task What kind of relationship is that?
He regards creativity as a crucial aspect of human existence.
because it conveys human feelings or emotions. What
are illustrations of this interaction? How exactly does this work
communication
work in Tolstoy’s opinion? What’s required for effective communication
of feelings via art?
We use several channels to express our sentiments and emotions than
art. Which of those additional methods are examples? What is peculiar
about the art of communication?
- art. What are some instances of some of the other methods? What makes sense?
- concerning the art of communication?
based on Tolstoy (#11). What possible illustrations of these “signs.”
What distinguishes the “signs” employed by artists from,
say, directional arrows or traffic signs in a public building?
How do the “external signs” and this “conversation” compare?
what distinguishes “expression” from “external signs”?
(#12)
According to Tolstoy, creating “pleasure” is not the goal of art.
claims. Utilize your browser’s (or word processor’s) “find” feature.
computer) to look for any paragraphs where he uses the word “pleasure” in.
What does “pleasure” seem to signify to him? Is he reliable?
How does he use the word “pleasure” in these passages? What are
He seems to be so against this as a means of appreciating art, right?
Tolstoy offers a number of further suggestions for comprehending art.
something he dismisses. (#12) Is his argument more convincing?
compared to those he rejects? Why?
Tolstoy appears to accept a hierarchy where “art” is at the top.
of the commonplace and more advanced art infused with divine perception
(#17-18). Is this distinction tenable? Is it in line with
nuances that you draw? Does it explain the significance to culture?
of art?
Plato’s ideas on art are discussed by Tolstoy (#19#23). What components
Does he think he is of Plato’s perspective? Will he concur with Plato?
on any of his artistic beliefs? What does he disagree with?
How is “true art” to be distinguished, according to Tolstoy?
(#2428) from “counterfeit art”? Is this feasible
test? What flaws do you notice in it? Can you consider
counter-examples
that would contradict his theory of how to draw this distinction?
The test of infectiousness is used by Tolstoy not just as a
descriptive
a benchmark for what constitutes art as well as a gauge for
great artwork (#28-32). What does this standard imply to him? What is
He suggests that we use this approach to assess art. Is this a helpful
a suggestion for rating the excellence of art? If you reject this
How would you object to this suggestion?
Describe the role of “sincerity” in Tolstoy’s theory.
To take into account all the passages, use the “find” command.
he used the word “sincerity” there. Is this a sensible suggestion?
for comprehending and valuing art? Can we ever be manipulated?
about the honesty of an artist? Exactly how would Tolstoy react to such a
a worry regarding deception?
Tolstoy appreciates the “peasant art” he refers to because
the honesty of it (#35). Contrast Tolstoy’s analysis of “peasant
art “with Clive Bell’s commendation in less than twenty years
“Primitive art” (Art, later)
Does their logic in any way resemble mine? How is it unique?
Do you believe that their praise of this art was simply coincidence?
What purpose does art serve?
Art is a way of expression, much like language. The message it conveys could be symbolic, religious, political, or historical. But the goal of art isn’t just to spread a message; it’s also to evoke an emotional response, or “move” us in some manner.
Who claimed that expressiveness is art?
R. G. Collingwood, who was unmistakably inspired by Croce, believed that all art is a representation of certain, distinct emotions, but that the act of creating art goes beyond simply displaying those emotions’ symptoms. (1938, p. 22) “The artist never rants” Instead, expression is the conscious transformation of a sensual or emotional experience into a thought or an image by the artist. True art is created in the artist’s imagination, as opposed to the tangible crafts that go along with the many arts.
Not all expression theorists exhibit the idealist tendencies found in Croce and Collingwood, possibly with good cause. If the only means of expression are cerebral or imaginary, the manipulation of the medium by the artist seems to be unfairly underestimated. John Dewey, an American pragmatist, stressed that expression is a “outgoing activity” of interaction with the environment, involving the controlled working of a medium, despite concurring with Croce and Collingwood that expression always involves the artist’s “inner” emotions in need of clarification and transformation (1934, p. 62). “Meanings and values drawn from earlier experiences and funded in such a way that they blend with the qualities directly portrayed in a work of art” are what are found in aesthetic expressiveness (p. 98).
The common criticism that expression theory oversimplifies art and the expressive process may therefore be overcome, but it is less clear whether it can overcome a different criticism that claims it makes the “genetic fallacy” of confusing criticisms of the artist, the source of the art, with criticisms of the art itself. No more than a cruel expression on a face implies that its owner has acted brutally, the presence of expressive qualities in an artwork does not imply the occurrence of past acts of expression.
It is accurate to describe the expression theory as a theory of expression that emphasizes the emotional processes that the artist goes through, but it would be false to assume that most expression theorists do not at least acknowledge the activation of emotions in the observer or audience. According to Dewey, “Art objects communicate because they are expressive. I don’t believe that an artist’s primary goal is to communicate with their audience. But it is a result of his work.
What does Tolstoy art Goodreads mean?
3.73 based on 2,575 reviews. Tolstoy produced a lot of articles and polemics on morality, social justice, and religion during the decades when he was known around the globe as a wise man and preacher in addition to being the author of War & Peace and Anna Karenina. The result was What Is Art?, which was published in 1898.