Leo Tolstoy
The Russian novelist of War and Peace, who argued that art is a feeling passed on until others catch it.
Books
War and Peace1869Napoleon’s invasion of Russia through a few families, with chapters where Tolstoy argues about history itself.
What Is Art?1898His case that art is feeling passed from one person to another, and that plenty of famous art fails the test.
Mentioned in
How do you paint loneliness?
How do you paint sadness and loneliness with no face and no symbol? From Bruegel’s Icarus to Picasso’s blue and Friedrich’s ship, and why every viewer finishes a painting with their own life.