What Is Art? · Chapter
Chapter X explained
Tolstoy argues that art cannot be both good and incomprehensible to the majority; true art is universally accessible and infects all people regardless of education or development.
What happens
Tolstoy argues that art cannot be both good and incomprehensible to the majority; true art is universally accessible and infects all people regardless of education or development. He criticizes the notion that the masses lack understanding, asserting that incomprehensibility indicates bad art or non-art, and warns that this fallacy leads to the rise of decadent, self-indulgent art.
Themes in this chapter
Infection Theory of Art
Art's essence is to infect all people with the artist's feeling, making universal comprehensibility a test of true art.
Perversion of Art by Professionalism and Gain
The claim that art can be good yet incomprehensible leads to perverted, self-serving art by a small circle.
Characters to notice
- Leo Tolstoy
Author and primary voice arguing for universal comprehensibility of true art.
- Voltaire
Quoted on the principle that all genres are good except the boring one, adapted by Tolstoy to art.
- Joseph
Biblical figure cited as an example of a story that touches people across cultures, including Chinese readers.
Key passages
“Nothing is more common than to hear it said of reputed works of art, that they are very good but very difficult to understand.”
People often praise artworks as excellent while admitting they are hard to grasp.
Tolstoy highlights the absurdity of this common claim.
“Great works of art are only great because they are accessible and comprehensible to everyone.”
The greatness of art lies in its universal appeal and understandability.
Central thesis of the chapter.
“To say that the reason a man is not touched by my art is because he is still too stupid... is to reverse the roles, and for the sick to send the hale to bed.”
Blaming the audience for not understanding art is like the sick telling the healthy they need rest.
Tolstoy's metaphor for the arrogance of artists who claim incomprehensibility.