What is Art?

"What is Art" (Что Такое Искусство) was completed in Russian in 1897, but first published in English due to Russian censorship issues. Tolstoy's work delves deeply into the considerable investment of time, effort, public funds, and social respect for art and artists, as well as navigating the nebulousness of collective views on art as a motivation for writing the book. In his own words, he mentions that "it is difficult to say what is meant by art, and especially what is good, useful art, art for the sake of which we might tolerate such sacrifices as are offered at its shrine." The book as a whole illustrates Tolstoy's unyielding moralism, judging works of art through the viewpoint of his radical Christian ethics and showing a willingness to reject recognized masters such as Wagner, Shakespeare, and Dante, as well as a notable part of his own literary output. Avoiding the use of beauty as a means of defining art, Tolstoy formulates a concept of art as a medium that conveys emotion.

This critical reader's edition presents a modern translation of the original manuscript, crafted for the modern reader with clean, modern language and simplified sentence structures that clarify his difficult Russian phrasing and specific antiquated references. Supplementary material enriches the text with autobiographical, historical, and linguistic setting, including an afterword by the translator on Tolstoy's personal history, impact, and intellectual legacy, an index of the philosophical concepts he employs, giving attention to Existentialism and influence by Schopenhauer, a complete chronological list of his published writings, and a detailed timeline of his life, showing the personal relationships that shaped his philosophy.