EDITOR'S TABLE. 



553 



%UUx's Sa^l^» 



TOLSTOI OX ART. 



THE great Russian writer, to 

 whose views on the subject of 

 science we made a passing reference 

 last month, has published a book 

 under the title of What is Art ? 

 which has been translated into 

 French by M. de Wyzewa, a well- 

 known contributor to the Reinie des 

 Deux Mondes and other periodicals. 

 The author's treatment of the ques- 

 tion is veiy radical; and, as he has 

 assailed the theories of all previous 

 writers on the subject, the theory 

 which he himself puts forward will 

 probably receive abundant criticism. 

 To our mind, waiving all minor 

 questions, his book seems to be one 

 of great importance and value. It 

 is a direct appeal to the conscience 

 and intelligence of the cultivated 

 classes, summoning them to consider 

 whether far the larger part of that 

 which they applaud as art is art at 

 all in the true sense, and whether 

 its effect on themselves and on the 

 world at large is not injurious rather 

 than beneficial. The appeal is made 

 with so much vigor and sincerity, 

 and is supported by so many apt and 

 powerful illustrations, that we shall 

 be surprised if it does not produce 

 far-reaching effects of a most salu- 

 tary kind. Such a voice as has now 

 been raised has long been wanted to 

 cry out to a luxurious generation 

 that they are abusing the advan- 

 tages they possess, that their ideals 

 of life are false, and that art in their 

 hands has sunk from its high posi- 

 tion as a chief means of the moral 

 and intellectual elevation of man- 

 kind and become little else than the 

 echo of their affectations and the 

 servant of their vanity and pride. 

 Count Tolstoi examines the vari- 



ous definitions that have been given 

 of art and finds them all unsatisfac- 

 tory, though he i)ronounces the views 

 put forward by Darwin and Spencer 

 as infinitely superior to those of the 

 metaphysical school which founds 

 art u])on the perception of beauty. 

 He hazards a theory of his own, 

 which is that art is the means 

 adopted by men to communicate 

 their emotions and sentiments, as 

 distinct from simple statements of 

 fact, to their fellows. Where any 

 communication is made from man to 

 man in such a way as to awaken in 

 him who receives it the same emo- 

 tion as is experienced by him who 

 makes it, there, according to Tolstoi, 

 art has intervened. Art may be em- 

 ployed in the service of an evil sen- 

 timent; but that does not prevent its 

 being art, pi'ovided the sentiment is 

 truly personal to one individual and 

 effectively conveyed to another. In 

 the same way ordinary language 

 might be employed in perfectly logi- 

 cal form to convey a false statement 

 or a wrong opinion; but just as the 

 proper and normal use of language 

 is to convey true statements and cor- 

 rect opinions, so the proper and nor- 

 mal use of art is to convey right sen- 

 timents, and, above all, sentiments 

 which make for the binding together 

 of mankind in fraternal union. Art 

 finds, according to this writer, its 

 highest use when it is employed in 

 the service of religion; and the re- 

 ligion of to-day, he holds, consists 

 mainly in the affirmation that all 

 men should be brethren. The best 

 examples of art are those which give 

 expression to sentiments in which 

 all mankind can share; and judged 

 by this standard the art most highly 

 i:)rized by the cultivated classes of to- 



