Essay about Tolstoys What Is Art - 938 Words

Leo Tolstoy compares art to speech by mentioning that art is a form of communication. The communication that Tolstoy writes about in â€Å"What Is Art?† is of two types, good and bad. According to Tolstoy, good art is what carries humanity towards perfection (Tolstoy 383). It is this movement forward in humanity that is emphasized by Tolstoy. Tolstoy informs his readers that speech is what teaches knowledge from human history, but art is what teaches the emotions of mankind’s past. As knowledge becomes obsolete in society it is replaced by new and more relevant information. Tolstoy asserts that emotions act the same way. The purpose of art is to express new and more relevant feelings to humankind. The new feelings are for the†¦show more content†¦It is when the artist begins to add nuances and harmonies to the melody that the work becomes inaccessible to the unlearned ear, thus isolating a portion of the audience. When works of art are created to express the un iversality of humankind they are more beneficial to it. As an example, this view is dissimilar to the view if Dante, who believed that the language of a work should be elevated. Tolstoy argues the more details that are given in the work the more opportunities for disconnection from its message the audience has (391). Accessibility is important for Tolstoy, but it is also important that the work be instructive and beneficial. It is in this idea of instruction that one can find similarities with Plato. Tolstoy, like Plato, does not emphasize the work of the artist, but how the work relates with the world around it. If the work is not good than it is useless. Again, what Tolstoy means by â€Å"good† is the work speaks to humankinds need for unity. It is the importance of unity, with God and one another, which supersedes all other ideas in art for Tolstoy. Again, it is emotions that unite men. Tolstoy writes: And only two kinds of feelings unite all men: first, feelings flowing from a perception of our sonship to God and of the brotherhood of man; and next, the simple feelings of common life accessible to every one without exception–such as feelings of merriment, of pity, of cheerfulness of tranquility and so forth. OnlyShow MoreRelatedLeo Tolstoy s What Is Art?992 Words   |  4 PagesLeo Tolstoy’s What is Art? (1896) is a written work about his ideas concerning the nature of art. Tolstoy’s book concerns how art can express ideas of how to act right and what it’s purpose is. According to Tolstoy art is the intentional communication of an emotion from the artist to the audience where the hope is that the audience feels the emotion felt by the artist. This definition of art varies from other philosophies. Tolstoy believes that this type of communication is inevitable, that it isRead MoreThe Theories Presented By Tolstoy And Bell1493 Words   |  6 PagesTo cat egorize art by such vague criteria as expression and form would be difficult if it were not for the several prevailing theories presented by Tolstoy and Bell. According to Tolstoy’s theory of expression, something is art only if it successfully does the following. First, it must have been created with the intention of being art and revealed to an audience through a publicly accessible medium, even if the audience is a single individual. These mediums must be physical things such as shapes,Read MoreWhat Is The Religious Influence Of Leo Tolstoy1221 Words   |  5 PagesLeo Tolstoy’s religious household, his service in the Russian military during the Crimean War and his time spent traveling abroad, and his descriptive and immersive writing style all come together to make him one of the most highly regarded authors of his time. Being raised in a religious, high-class family that was full of death greatly influenced Tolstoy’s writing of What I Believe, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and War and Peace. For example, Tolstoy’s heavy religious influence from his family greatlyRead More Tolstoys Philosophy of Art Essay533 Words   |  3 PagesTolstoys Philosophy of Art Tolstoy approaches art with a very specific and narrow view of what is real and what is counterfeit in classifying artwork and what makes a work of art good or bad. Tolstoy believes that a work of art can be classified as real if and only if one man consciously by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that others are infected by these feelings and also experience them (10). He believes that art can only be definedRead MoreLooking at Hugh Hefners Portrait from Various Lenses Essays1159 Words   |  5 PagesCynthia Freeland argued that art communicates significance but there is no one precise hypothetical approach that tells us how to best interpret a work of art. Although there are better interpretations of a piece artwork than others, there is no one-way to interpret a single piece of art. The best interpretations understand the background of the artist while also focusing on the style that the artist uses. The emotions and ideas that come from looking at a piece of art work can come from the artist’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Leo Tolstoy s The French Artist 1258 Words   |  6 PagesLeo Tolstoy’s aesthetical assessment of art, and the role progress plays in regards to it, contrast greatly from that of the French artist, Marcel Duchamp. However connections can be made between their various aesthetical art theories, inclu ding in a way, the relationship the art has with the viewer. Although the audience’s role is radically different to each, it is essential component to both, Duchamp’s and Tolstoy’s aesthetical theories. Tolstoy approaches the aesthetic view of art as aRead MoreEssay on Tolstoys War and Peace939 Words   |  4 PagesTolstoys War and Peace Summary War and Peace tells the story of the Rostovs, an upper-class family in Russia, and several people associated with them. It follows the characters through fifteen years during the Napoleonic Wars, from 1805 to 1820. It gives a fictional description of the events in the life of the Rostov family as well as some of the historical events of the time. Analysis Tolstoy is regarded by some as the greatest writer about war (Bayley 16). He includes detailsRead MoreEssay on What Is The Expression Theory Of Art1484 Words   |  6 Pages Art has evolved and regenerated itself many times during our human existence. These differences are defined through changes in styles under various theories. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, a style known as Expressionism became popular. During this movement the artists were trying to use their artwork as a tool of expression toward life. It was mainly dominant in the nonrepresentational arts, such as abstract visual arts and music. It also was probably one of the most difficultRead MoreThe Confession By Leo Tolstoy1661 Words   |  7 PagesLeo Tolstoy – The Confession Many people find themselves in a mid-life crisis when they reflect on what is the real meaning of human life. Leo Tolstoy wrote his literal interpretation of God’s teachings. Towards his golden years, the writer rejected privileges and wealth and became a wandering ascetic. At the height of his career, he encountered a midlife crisis which revolutionized his views towards life. Tolstoy said that he considered ending his life since he no longer understood the meaningRead MoreThe majority of modern pornography is not art, and by using a selective definition of Leo Tolstoy’s1800 Words   |  8 Pagesmodern pornography is not art, and by using a selective definition of Leo Tolstoy’s version of art, and John Dewey’s theory of art as experience, we can determine that pornography is nothing more than shallow entertainment that exacerbates social inequalities of society’s gender roles. Despite this, pornography has the potential to become art, and should therefore not be censored. It is important to define pornography, as well as Tolstoy and Dewey’s definitions of art, in order to set the groundwork