What Is Art?

Leo Tolstoy's What Is Art? is a searching philosophical challenge to the assumptions of artistic culture, asking not only what art is, but what it is for. From its opening contrast between popular songs and elite taste, the book argues that genuine art should be understandable beyond fashionable circles and judged by its power to transmit feeling. Tolstoy defends a humane standard: true art unites people across class and background, while false or parasitic culture deadens moral and aesthetic sense. He distinguishes art from science, links appreciation to social conditions, and insists that the highest art spreads compassion, conscience, and shared humanity. Alongside this central argument, the work ranges widely through literary criticism and translation, including a delicate French poem rendered as a dreamlike lullaby of feathers, roses, wings, and angels. It also offers a brisk, ironic retelling of Wagner's The Nibelung's Ring, capturing its gods, curses, forbidden love, heroism, and tragic destruction. Across these varied examples, Tolstoy's concern remains constant: art should be accessible, morally serious, and deeply alive. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.