Quote of the day by Leo Tolstoy: “To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, ... so to transmit that feeling that others may experience the same feeling — this is the activity of art” A reminder that true art goes beyond perfection or technical skill and lies in honestly expressing emotions and creating a meaningful connection with others

Leo Tolstoy, the renowned Russian writer of the 19th century, is best known for landmark novels such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, which continue to be regarded as some of the greatest works in world literature. However, Tolstoy was more than a novelist. In his later years, he became a moral philosopher, questioning wealth, violence and social inequality while embracing a simpler way of life. His ideas on nonviolence later influenced figures such as Mahatma Gandhi.

Toward the end of his life, Tolstoy turned his attention to the nature and purpose of art. In his 1897 book What Is Art?, he challenged the idea that art exists primarily to create beauty or showcase technical skill. For Tolstoy, art had a deeper purpose: connecting people through shared emotions.

Quote of the day by Leo Tolstoy: “To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds, or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling that others may experience the same feeling — this is the activity of art.”

What does the quote mean?

Tolstoy believed that art begins with an emotion genuinely experienced by the artist, whether it is joy, grief, fear, love or longing. The artist then recalls that feeling and expresses it through a medium such as painting, music, movement or words, allowing others to experience a similar emotion.


In What Is Art?, Tolstoy described this ability to transfer feelings from one person to another as “infectiousness”. For him, the true measure of art was not simply how beautiful or technically impressive it was, but whether it could emotionally connect with its audience.

He illustrated this idea with a simple example: a boy who has seen a wolf tells his friends about the experience. If he merely describes what happened, it remains a factual account. But if he relives the fear while narrating it and his friends begin to feel frightened too, the story becomes art. The wolf need not be present; the emotion is what matters.

How is this idea still relevant today?

In the digital age, people encounter an endless stream of content on social media. Much of it is polished, technically impressive and designed to capture attention, yet it may be forgotten moments after it is viewed.

Tolstoy's perspective shifts the focus from how well something is made to whether it makes us feel something. A shaky, amateur video capturing genuine grief, joy or courage can move millions, while an expensive production lacking emotional honesty may leave little impact.

His argument ultimately places sincerity above technique. Skill and beauty can strengthen a work, but art becomes meaningful when it communicates a genuine human feeling and allows others to experience it.