- Tolstoy"s iconoclastic essay exploring art and its relationship with society is as relevant in the 21st century as when it was written over 100 years ago. What is Art? What is value? What is good taste? What makes a cultured class? Tolstoy wrestled with these questions for fifteen years, and this book is the result of his fascination with the evolution of art, and its relationship with religion, commerce, and science. As the growing digitisation of our world continues to provide new ways to create and consume art, and raises questions about its quality and its control, What is Art? challenges us to revert to the visceral, the authentic, and to think carefully about how art can shape our collective future.