See the Original Manuscript of Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis' at The Morgan Library

Tour Highlights:

• See Kafka artifacts from Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries on view for the first time in the United States 
• Get up close to the original manuscript of The Metamorphosis and other Kafka works
• Dive into previously overlooked aspects of Kafka’s life, including his relationships with women like his sister Ottla Kafka and journalist Milena Jesenská
• View Andy Warhol’s portrait of Kafka, personal correspondence, diaries, photographs, drawings, and contemporary works that carry on the author’s legacy

About this Event:

When the Franz Kafka exhibit opened at The Morgan Library & Museum in November 2024 it marked two important centennial milestones: the opening of the Morgan Library and the anniversary of Kafka’s death in 1924. Though the author’s life was cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 40, this exhibit proves his work created a legacy that continues to reverberate through literature and art.

Artifacts in this exhibit are on view for the first time in the United States. Through literary manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, and photographs from Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries visitors can explore the important experiences, relationships, and places that influenced Kafka’s writing.

One highlight of the exhibit is the original manuscript of his famous novella The Metamorphosis. Alongside the manuscript, visitors will see entomological illustrations that show what forms Gregor Samsa may have morphed into. These are on display among modern reinterpretations of the story, from a poster for a ballet adaptation choreographed Arthur Pita to a cartoon drawn by Judy Horacek. Kafka’s other novels, Amerika and The Castle, and short stories including “A Hunger Artist” and “Josephine the Singer, also get their due.

The documents Kafka left behind reveal glimpses of his personality, his talent, and his inspirations. His notebooks contain sketches and samples of writing both fictitious and descriptive. There are snippets of multiple languages including Hebrew, German, French, and Chinese. Postcards reveal the bonds he shared with family members like his sister Ottla. His travel journals show how his travels abroad to places like Italy and France, as well as his imaginary jaunts to more remote places like China and Russia (which he only ever experienced in travel books) directly impacted his writing.

Among the items that illustrate the author’s lasting legacy is Andy Warhol’s vibrant portrait of Kafka. The work was part of Warhol’s 1980 series Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century. It is one of the many pieces of art that has sprung from Kafka’s writing, and you can see more on display at The Morgan.

Franz Kafka is on view through April 13, 2025. A series of events lectures, panel discussions, and a performance of Philip Glass’s Metamorphosis will accompany the exhibit. See all upcoming events at The Morgan here!