"It seems that the complexity of a being can only be truly understood through its relationships with other men. Just as to appreciate the value and originality of a painter, the best way is to compare his works with those of another artist, by bringing them together, placing them side by side and comparing them. We then see to what extent a Corot "holds" next to a Poussin and in what their profound difference consists. This confrontation, this very pragmatic way of judging is particularly rich in teaching when it comes to people and characters. To shed light on the various faces of Tolstoy by showing him in his relations with some of his most remarkable contemporaries, this is what we want to attempt in this book which is neither a biography nor a theoretical essay,
but an attempt to reconstitute a whole set from the particular and partial visions of a few leading men."
Condition: Very Good, French