Jean Joseph Marie Amiot value, the language having been previously quite unknown in Europe. In 1772 he translated "The Art of War", one of the most influential war strategy and tactics treatises in military history, written around the 6th century BCE and attributed to General Sun Tzu, into French. The first successful translation to English would not be achieved before another 138 years, in 1910. His other writings are to be found chiefly in the "Mémoires concernant l'histoire, les sciences et les arts des Chinois" (15 volumes, Paris, 1776–1791). The "Vie de Confucius", the twelfth volume of that collection, was more complete and accurate
What Is Art? art. In short, new artists imitate the classics, setting their own feelings aside, which, according to Tolstoy, is contrary to the point of art. Art schools teach people how to imitate the method of the masters, but they cannot teach the sincerity of emotion that is the propellant of great works. In Tolstoy's words, "[n]o school can call up feelings in a man, and still less can it teach a man what is the essence of art: the manifestation of feeling in his own particular fashion". Throughout the book Tolstoy demonstrates a willingness to dismiss generally accepted masters, among them