Interpretation - Tolstoy - "On Art"

Interpretation of Leo Tolstoy “On Art”

The criteria used to identify great works of art have become self-serving and confusing.  It has become commonplace to associate art with poorly crafted works, or associations to whatever themes may be the current fashion.  By giving esteem to lesser works, we focus on trivial messages that impair our ability to grow and further our understanding of the human condition.   This essay is intended to clarify the correct attributes of art, and to give guidance as to what distinguishes important art from insignificant productions.

There are three prevailing theories of art.  The Tendencious theory suggests that art should be evaluated by the importance of the subject.  The Aesthetic theory, or “art for art’s sake,” suggests that beauty is the prevailing determinant of high art.  And finally, the Realistic theory views the truthful presentation of reality as the most important aspect of art.  All of these theories compete and contradict each other, and they do not provide any guidance for identifying significant art from the insignificant.

            The importance of art is derived from artistic activity, and by what works are handed down through the generations.  Artistic activity is the creation of new impressions.  Art that is handed down consists of new ideas, reflected in the creativity of the work, that are deemed socially relevant.    As such, the creative act, or artistic activity, is the primary component to the importance of a piece of art.  It is reflective of the artist’s emotional drive to create and their ability to access their inner selves in a manner that clearly conveys their messages to the viewers.  When achieved, both the artist and the viewer feel a sense of “artistic satisfaction.” In this manner, artistic activity is different from all other forms of human activity.  A great work of art takes something from obscurity and clearly reveals it to all, and it effectively broadens man’s understanding of humanity.

            Not all new impressions will be great works of art, but all great works of art are formed from new impressions.   To be a great work, a piece must be original and important to humanity; it must be presented in a manner that everyone can understand; and it must be completely authentic to the artist.  In other words, it must have important content, clear expression and sincere authenticity.  Any deviation from these criteria and the piece is something other than a great work of art.

            Content, expression and authenticity can all be explained through limits.  The highest limits of each are important to man, they are the easiest to understand and they move the human soul.  The lowest limits are negligible to man, they are the most obscure to understand and they have the least relevance to man’s soul.  A perfect work of art will possess the highest levels of content, expression and authenticity. 

Imperfect works of art are deficient, in varying degrees, in content, expression or authenticity.  These works tend to fall into broad categories that emphasize importance, beauty or sincerity.   Imperfect works tend to be reflections of social preferences of the time.  Different eras emphasize different traits and do not demand, or enforce, the high standards of art.  As such, the underlying meaning is negligible and wrongly construed as socially important.  There is an ease to produce lesser works of art that are decorated with what is fashionable at the time.  However, the great works speak to highest levels of importance, they reflect master craftsmanship, and they transcend the social standards of the time.

Artists must be able to think for themselves in order to transcend superficial social standards.   They should observe and ponder life’s larger themes and remove themselves from noise and trivialities.  If an artist is seeking new ideas and if they possess the craft of their medium, then they will know how to clearly present them when they form.  Artists must have conviction within themselves, and their focus should be on how best to clearly communicate their new impressions.

People appreciate good works of art and they want to see more of them produced.  However, great works are not produced on demand.  They are inspired, cultivated, revealed and ultimately crafted by the artist.  They are reflections of new insights infused by the artists soul, and they universally speak to the human condition. 

Works Cited

Tolstoy, Leo. “On Art.” Art 623, Aesthetics. Tiffin University. N.d. Web.  Sept 1, 2013