Respond?

Today in class we discussed the teachings of the philosopher Tolstoy who examined the idea that in order for a work of art to be considered successful it must convey some emotion to the viewer or the people observing the work of art. Tolstoy conveys the message that art exists to move the viewer. Emotion is central to the art. Art's main purpose is to communicate said emotion; some even consider it to be the language of feeling. The feeling or emotion that is being conveyed by the art is a direct link, in theory, to the artist. The viewer; if the artwork is "good" should be able to tell the viewer exactly what the artist is trying to convey. Now, considering this information, a question arises. If the artist does a "good" job and his artwork conveys a very strong emotion and message, however, the audience is unresponsive and doesn't feel this emotion, is the artwork considered a failure?