The expression or application of human creativity and imagination, usually in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works that are to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. The quote above is the Oxford Dictionary definition. of art. It is one of many definitions and theories written in response to the question "what is art?" » However, this same question implies an inhibited and essentialist answer such as “Art is…”. Over the centuries, philosophers, critics and authors have attempted to bring us ever closer to the elusive concept of “art”. It is an incredibly difficult concept and practice to theorize and define, especially in the 20th century, because it is the very essence of art, as with all creative practices, to constantly question question what came before and its preconceived definitions. Leo Tolstoy states that: To correctly define art, we must above all stop considering it as a means of enjoyment and consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Considering it in this way, we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of communication between man and man. This is from his iconoclastic collection of essays and polemics on art entitled “What is Art?” In this passionate and powerful work, Tolstoy critiques the elitist artistic society of the 19th century and rejects the idea that the sole purpose of art should be the creation of something beautiful. This view alone flies in the face of the Oxford Dictionary's vague definition, and we immediately see the problems with defining art. There are countless theories written by too many people for us to create a single definition applicable to all arts, in all eras. H...... middle of paper ......n and significant form', The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Summer 1977), p.433Bell, (London, 1913), p.83McLaughlin, “Clive Bell's Aesthetic: Tradition and Significant Form”, p.433Burgin, (London, 1986), p.160R. Wollheim, Painting as an Art, (Thames and Hudson, London, 1987), p.358Sluga H., Family Resemblance, (Grazer Philosophische Studien, vol.71, 2006)L. Wittgenstein (tr. GEM Anscombe), Philosophical Investigations 4th edition, (Blackwell Publishing, West Sussex, 2009) Wittgenstein, (West Sussex, 2009), aphorisms 66-67A. C. Danto, Beyond the Brillo Box: The Visual Arts in Post-Historical Perspective, (University of California Press, USA, 1992), p.53 http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/n9.htm# nomi, March 8, 2014 http://www.lrb.co.uk/v03/n06/peter-lamarque/works-of-art, Peter Lamarque, March 9, 2014