Communication

According to Tolstoy art is used as a form of communication. Considering the amount of emotion put behind a work of art this would make sense. However going back to our longstanding discussion of nature and art, does this mean that nature communicates something to us? A sunset is beautiful to me so therefore I think that is an expression of some form of art, or what about a vase of flowers they were intentionally placed that way and some consider it art. Is nature what Tolstoy had in mind when he spoke of art?