Notes on Tolstoy, On Art (1895-7) B

(Originally Written Feb. 23, 2008 in the Journal)

Art is a mental activity.

Art must contribute what is good to man, not what is evil.

"The importance, the value, of art consists in widening man's outlook, in increasing the spiritual wealth that is humanity's capital" (Maude, 54).

Art must always reveal something new, but something newly revealed is not necessarily art.

In order for a new idea to be art it must:
1. Be of importance to mankind
2. Be expressed clearly so that people may understand it
3. Be brought about by something inside the creator not an external inducement

A piece is only art if it meets all three conditions (content, form, sincerity).

A piece that barely meets the standards of all three categories will be considered art, but a piece that meets two to the highest degree but is lacking the third will not be art.

To show the lowest threshold of these conditions, Tolstoy claims that he will show the highest and that the opposite of the highest is the lowest.

As for content, Tolstoy claims the highest, most important and necessary to man is that which is good or moral. Thus, the lowest will be what is bad and immoral.

Tolstoy has an interesting definition of good, moral, evil and immoral on page 55:

"That which unites people not by violence but by love: that which serves to disclose the joy of the union of men with another, is 'important', 'good' or 'moral'. 'Evil' and 'immoral' is that which divides them, that leads men to the suffering produced by disunion. 'Important' is that which causes people to understand and to love what they previously did not understand or love'"(Maude, 55).

The highest degree of form is what is intelligible to all men. It is clear, concise and definite. The opposite then is confused, obscure, indefinite and formless.

The highest degree of sincerity is showing reality, not of the existence of the world, but how the soul of the artist exists in relation to the world. The lowest then is a false representation of the artist's soul.

All works of art lie in between the two limits.