Kafka’s drawings. Somatisations and judgemental caricatures

Abstract

Franz Kafka’s drawings, published in a catalogue raisonné only in 2021, show a recurring element, that is the representation of human silhouettes in motion. This article explores the theme of the relationship between writing and picturing in Kafka and investigates these figures, as they appear in his universe of discourse and for the force of generalisation they have. Kafka’s silhouettes, subjected to gravity, to the others’ judgement, to selfesteem, to the conflicts between duty and will, provides, through a semiotic analysis, a better understanding of the individual and social problem of posture.