Final answer:
Leo Tolstoy's theory on art and human emotion emphasizes art as a medium for expressing and communicating profound emotions and spiritual values, moving beyond mere aesthetic appeal. Art serves as a connector to the human condition, allowing viewers to empathize and engage with greater human narratives and truths. His understanding of art reflects a broader historical context where genres from Romanticism to contemporary movements view art as an exploration of life's complexities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Leo Tolstoy's theory on art and human emotion delves into the deeper role that art plays in expressing and invoking emotions. According to Tolstoy, particularly after his religious conversion, art should transcend beauty for beauty's sake and instead serve to convey a sincere expression of emotions and spiritual values. His conversion led him to a strict Christian viewpoint, where he sought a more profound and transformative purpose for art, beyond aesthetic appreciation, focusing on its ability to communicate human experience and the universal truths of existence.
Tolstoy's stance is supported by the idea that throughout history, art has often been a means to connect the audience with the deeper aspects of the human condition, whether through literature as in his own War and Peace, or in paintings like Van Gogh's Wheat Field with Crows. These works allow viewers to empathize with broader, sometimes unspoken, human narratives.
Moreover, the world of art has seen movements like Romanticism, where there was a celebration of the intimate relationship between humanity and nature, and geniuses were believed to convey profound truths and emotional experiences through their artistry. Philosophers and artists alike have understood art as a multifaceted means of personal and communal expression, often defining fine arts as the exploration of the human condition and deeper understanding of life.