Nicolas Mahler: Komplett Kafka

„Du, ich war einmal ein großer Zeichner“ (You, I was once a great draughtsman), Franz Kafka wrote to his long-term fiancée Felice Bauer in 1913 about his artistic ambitions. His drawing had once „mehr befriedigt als irgendetwas“ (satisfied him more than anything else). At the same time, Kafka was suspicious of illustrations for his books. When it came to designing the cover of his story „The Metamorphosis“, he suspected that the commissioned illustrator might intend to draw the beetle.

Now the Austrian comic artist Nicolas Mahler has done just that. He has reduced the crawling dung beetle Gregor, the scrawny hunger artist, the singing mouse Josephine and other Kafka characters to stick figures. And Kafka himself, his fiancée Felice and his friend Max Brod do not escape unscathed.

A number of sketches, originals and prints from Nicolas Mahler's drawn biography „Komplett Kafka“ (Suhrkamp Verlag, 2023) will be on display at the Literaturhaus to mark the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka's death in 2024.

And how would Kafka have reacted? Perhaps this undertaking would have amused him, as he wrote in a letter: „Ich kann auch lachen, Felice, zweifle nicht daran. Ich bin sogar als großer Lacher bekannt“ (I can laugh too, Felice, don't doubt it. I am even known as a great laugher).

Photos:

Anton Burger