What does Tolstoy say about art reflecting the human condition?

• A. Art encapsulates the innermost feelings and thoughts of humanity, bridging gaps between cultures and eras.
• B. Art should be strictly ceremonial and formal.
• C. Art only depicts external appearances.
• D. Art must be technically perfect.

Answer: (A)

Tolstoy treats art as a means of communicating feeling from the creator to others, so that the emotional experience can be felt by people across different times and places. He argues that the value of art lies in its ability to convey genuine emotion, creating a shared human understanding that transcends cultural or historical barriers. The statement that best captures this is that art encapsulates the innermost feelings and thoughts of humanity and bridges gaps between cultures and eras—that is, it speaks to universal human experience. Art that relies only on ceremonial form, or merely depicts outward appearances, or emphasizes technical perfection without conveying feeling, misses what he considers true art: the contagious, sincere communication of emotion.