What Is Art?

Leo Tolstoy, in his work "What Is Art?", argues that true art is not about imitation but about "infection"—communicating a specific feeling or experience to the audience. He believed that most recognized masterpieces were "counterfeit" because they lacked genuine experience or promoted divisive ideas. Tolstoy's definition of good art is that which infects its audience with a positive moral sensibility, fostering human fellowship. He condemned much of his own earlier work, along with that of Shakespeare and Wagner, as either counterfeit or morally detrimental, favoring instead simpler art forms that promoted Christian values and unity. This moralistic view contrasts with aestheticism, which prioritizes the intense aesthetic experience above all else.123