{"product_id":"9781474265096","title":"What is Art?","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is Art?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Leo Tolstoy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeo Tolstoy is one of the most celebrated novelists of all time. As well as writing literary classics such as \u003ci\u003eAnna Karenina \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/i\u003e he was also the author of some hugely influential critical and philosophical works. First published in 1898 his book length essay \u003ci\u003eWhat\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eis Art? \u003c\/i\u003ehas lost none of its power to challenge our perception of art and its function in society today. In this provocative work Tolstoy famously dismisses works by Shakespeare, Dante, Wagner and even many of his own works as 'bad art' based on various criteria including sincerity, ethics, morality and accessibility. Tolstoy took art seriously at a time when western civilization toyed with it as a mere pastime during the height of the Aestheticism movement. For him, art was natural and necessary to the advancement of humankind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn his introduction to this translation, W. Gareth Jones shows how vitally Tolstoy's personality and experiences in life were engaged in creating \u003ci\u003eWhat is Art?\u003c\/i\u003e. Jones shows how integral the essay was to his art and teaching, and why it continues to demand a response from us.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781474265096\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40597035417806,"sku":"9781474265096","price":21.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_fa40a898-5d06-4127-9a12-a5ebfeedc7ec.jpg?v=1637872148","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781474265096","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}