Which statement best represents Tolstoy's view on how art bridges cultures and eras?

• A. Art bridges gaps between cultures and eras by expressing innermost feelings and thoughts.
• B. Art bridges gaps by presenting only historical events.
• C. Art bridges gaps by showcasing technological achievements.
• D. Art bridges gaps by repeating popular fashions.

Answer: (A)

Art crosses time and culture when it communicates genuine feelings from the creator to others. Tolstoy argued that art’s power lies in conveying the artist’s own emotions so that viewers or readers feel those same sensations, creating a shared human experience that transcends era and place. When a work expresses innermost feelings and thoughts, it speaks to people across different backgrounds because those emotions are universal, forming connections that bridge gaps between cultures and ages. The other ideas focus on recounting events, highlighting technology, or chasing fashions, none of which capture art’s true purpose in his view: to forge emotional resonance that unites people through shared humanity.