What Is Art? · Chapter
I explained
Tolstoy opens by highlighting the confusion and contradiction surrounding the definition of art, noting that artists of different schools mutually exclude one another.
What happens
Tolstoy opens by highlighting the confusion and contradiction surrounding the definition of art, noting that artists of different schools mutually exclude one another. He describes the enormous labor, expense, and human sacrifice devoted to art—citing government subsidies, the construction of grand buildings, and the stunting of lives in specialized training. He recounts a rehearsal of a typical opera, depicting the absurdity, cruelty, and lewdness of the production, and questions whether art is truly worth such sacrifices. He argues that art has become vague and uncertain, with critics and artists unable to agree on what constitutes true art.
Themes in this chapter
Perversion of Art by Professionalism and Gain
Tolstoy criticizes the immense labor and resources spent on art, the stunting of human lives through specialized training, and the cruelty of conductors, suggesting art has been perverted by professional demands and financial interests.
Critique of Aesthetics and Art Criticism
Tolstoy highlights the self-contradictory nature of art criticism, where different schools deny each other's legitimacy, leaving no clear definition of art.
True Art vs. Counterfeit Art
The chapter contrasts the genuine purpose of art with the absurd, lewd, and artificial productions of the opera, implying a distinction between true and counterfeit art.
Characters to notice
- Leo Tolstoy
Author and narrator, reflecting on the state of art and recounting a personal experience at an opera rehearsal.
Key passages
“the domain of art all that to which the critics of various schools themselves deny the title, there is scarcely any art left.”
If we remove everything that critics of different schools reject, almost nothing remains that can be called art.
Tolstoy emphasizes the fragmentation and mutual exclusion among art critics.
“Hundreds of thousands of people devote their lives from childhood to learning to twirl their legs rapidly (dancers), or to touch notes and strings very rapidly (musicians), or to draw with paint and represent what they see (artists), or to turn every phrase inside out and find a rhyme to every word.”
Countless individuals dedicate their entire lives to mastering trivial physical or technical skills for art, often at the expense of broader human development.
Tolstoy criticizes the narrow specialization and wasted potential in artistic training.
“It would be difficult to find a more repulsive sight.”
The scene at the opera rehearsal was extremely unpleasant and offensive.
Tolstoy describes the conductor's abusive behavior and the overall absurdity of the production.