(406 words) Art is perhaps one of the most important areas of human existence. It has given us a great many wonderful eternal creations: exquisite music, majestic masterpieces of architecture, profound books and much, much more. In my opinion, the influence of art on the history of mankind in general and the human soul in particular is truly enormous. Confirmation of this can be found not only in Russian, but also in all world literature.
For example, O. Henry in his story "Pharaoh and the Choral" tells us about the New York beggar Sopi. This desolate, immoral person has one single goal - to go to prison to spend the winter in warmth and comfort, without doing anything. For the sake of realizing his plan, Sopi performs many dubious acts: he steals, rages, and debauches, but the doors of the coveted prison remain closed to him. Already completely desperate, the main character suddenly hears the sounds of chorales coming from the church. Music hits Sopi to the core, an unscrupulous tramp realizes how low he has fallen. A new beginning is beginning in his soul, which calls him to take the right path. He is reborn and firmly decides to start life from scratch. The power of art is truly unlimited, because only a melody can transform a person beyond recognition.
N.V. Gogol in the novel “Portrait” portrays before us the fate of the artist Andrei Petrovich Chartkov. A talented, but poor young man, by the will of providence, becomes the owner of a huge amount of money. Andrei’s first noble impulse is to go to work with his head, to perfect his talent. But plunged into the cycle of social life, the main character eventually departs from real art, turning into a servant of the rich. He creates beautiful, perfect in shape, but dead and meaningless crafts, losing his talent in exchange for a fleeting glory. After some time, a picture of former comrade Chartkov is brought to Russia, who devoted his life to art, who sacrificed everything for his sake. Just once looking at the creation of a true artist, Andrei realizes the meaninglessness of his life, he realizes that in the pursuit of fame he killed his talent. The main character tries in vain to revive the creator, but his attempts are meaningless, the muse left him. In despair, Chartkov begins to buy up and destroy the most beautiful paintings, and then he falls ill and dies. According to Gogol, without true art, human life does not make sense.
In art, there is a great power that can not only elevate a person to the top of bliss, making him better, but also overthrow him, turning him to dust. It all depends on the personality itself and its willingness to listen to the call of beauty that heals the world. She plays on the strings of the human soul, controlling us, tuning and upsetting us, like an instrument, which is why the results of creative efforts occupy an important place in the life of each of us.
