Johannes Itten

(Swiss, 1888–1967)

Johannes Itten was a Swiss painter and important teacher at the Bauhaus in Weimar. A believer in mysticism, Itten developed comprehensive color theories which drew on both science and emotion, as evinced in his book The Art of Color (1961). “He who wants to become a master of color must see, feel, and experience each individual color in its many endless combinations with all other colors,” he once explained. “Colors must have a mystical capacity for spiritual expression, without being tied to objects.” Born on November 11, 1888 in Südern-Linden, Switzerland, he was trained as an elementary school teacher as a teenager, where he became interesting in exploring the psychology of individual students. In 1916, while living in Vienna, he met Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus. Gropius invited the artist to become one of the Bauhaus’s earliest instructors alongside Lyonel Feininger in 1919. Itten left the Bauhaus in 1923, after consistently arguing with Gropius about the direction the school take. He went on to open his own school in Berlin, which continued to operate until it was closed by the Nazi regime in 1934. Because of his knowledge of design, he was appointed the director of a textile school in the city of Krefeld. Relocating to Switzerland in 1938, he spent his remaining years writing books and teaching design courses. Itten died on March 25, 1967 in Zürich, Switzerland. Today, the artist’s works are The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, among others.

Johannes Itten Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Johannes Itten (482 results)
Sitzende Frau (Sitting woman)

Johannes Itten

Sitzende Frau (Sitting woman)

Sale Date: December 6, 2010

Auction Closed

Blume gefangen im Konstrukt (Flower caught..., 1949

Johannes Itten

Blume gefangen im Konstrukt (Flower caught..., 1949

Sale Date: December 6, 2010

Auction Closed

Portrait eines Mädchens

Johannes Itten

Portrait eines Mädchens

Sale Date: December 3, 2010

Auction Closed

Abstract figures, 1949

Johannes Itten

Abstract figures, 1949

Sale Date: November 16, 2010

Auction Closed

Pflanzliches unter der Erde, 1951

Johannes Itten

Pflanzliches unter der Erde, 1951

Sale Date: November 6, 2010

Auction Closed

Junge Frau, pl. 4 (from Frau Agathe und..., 1919

Johannes Itten

Junge Frau, pl. 4 (from Frau Agathe und..., 1919

Sale Date: September 18, 2010

Auction Closed

Komposition in orange und blaugrün..., 1957

Johannes Itten

Komposition in orange und blaugrün..., 1957

Sale Date: June 14, 2010

Auction Closed

Flammen (Flames), 1961

Johannes Itten

Flammen (Flames), 1961

Sale Date: June 14, 2010

Auction Closed

Farbenkugel in 7 Lichtstufen und 12 Tönen, 1921

Johannes Itten

Farbenkugel in 7 Lichtstufen und 12 Tönen, 1921

Sale Date: June 17, 2010

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel, 1962

Johannes Itten

Ohne Titel, 1962

Sale Date: May 6, 2010

Auction Closed

Stadtlandschaft in der Schweiz, 1938

Johannes Itten

Stadtlandschaft in der Schweiz, 1938

Sale Date: April 30, 2010

Auction Closed

Tänzerin (study), 1915–1916

Johannes Itten

Tänzerin (study), 1915–1916

Sale Date: April 23, 2010

Auction Closed

Mit dem gelben Quadrat, 1954

Johannes Itten

Mit dem gelben Quadrat, 1954

Sale Date: April 14, 2010

Auction Closed

Abstrakte Komposition, 1959

Johannes Itten

Abstrakte Komposition, 1959

Sale Date: December 4, 2009

Auction Closed

Stadtlandschaft in der Schweiz, 1938

Johannes Itten

Stadtlandschaft in der Schweiz, 1938

Sale Date: October 30, 2009

Auction Closed

Spruch Gruß und Heil dem Herzen, pl.3 (from..., 1921

Johannes Itten

Spruch Gruß und Heil dem Herzen, pl.3 (from..., 1921

Sale Date: October 23, 2009

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel (Einladungskarte), 1965

Johannes Itten

Ohne Titel (Einladungskarte), 1965

Sale Date: October 31, 2009

Auction Closed

O.T. - Geometrische Komposition, pl. 7 (from , 1919

Johannes Itten

O.T. - Geometrische Komposition, pl. 7 (from , 1919

Sale Date: September 19, 2009

Auction Closed

Japanische Blüte, 1950

Johannes Itten

Japanische Blüte, 1950

Sale Date: June 11, 2009

Auction Closed

Blumenstrauss in Vase, 1941

Johannes Itten

Blumenstrauss in Vase, 1941

Sale Date: June 11, 2009

Auction Closed

Portrait, 1930

Johannes Itten

Portrait, 1930

Sale Date: June 11, 2009

Auction Closed

Frauenportrait mit geneigtem Kopf, 1930

Johannes Itten

Frauenportrait mit geneigtem Kopf, 1930

Sale Date: June 11, 2009

Auction Closed

Mädchen, 1929

Johannes Itten

Mädchen, 1929

Sale Date: June 11, 2009

Auction Closed

Kopfstudien, 1927

Johannes Itten

Kopfstudien, 1927

Sale Date: June 11, 2009

Auction Closed

English (US)

©2024 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. All rights reserved.