I fratelli Čapek a Parigi: riflessi letterari e teorico-figurativi del soggiorno in Francia

The thesis examines how French literature and figurative arts influenced the work of Czech brothers Karel and Josef Čapek. The study stay in Paris (1910-1911) is seen as the first impulse that brought both authors to change their perspective on philosophy, representation of reality and literary experimentation. The analysis follows then each brother's independent path throughout the years, showing how the inspiration drawn from French poetry and painting can't be simply labeled as juvenile fscination. Several forms of documents are therefore scrutinized: memoirs and correspondence, essays and reviews, plays and short stories. A central chapter is focused on Karel Čapek's translations of poetry (Francouzská poezie nové doby), where possible sources and criteria of selection of the texts are discussed.