Johannes Itten(1888-1967)
After graduating from school with a high school diploma, Itten studied education in Bern from 1904 to 1912. From 1913 to 1916 he was a student of Adolf Hölzel at the Stuttgart Art Academy. There he also came into contact with Ida Kerkovius, Oskar Schlemmer, Willi Baumeister and Hermann Stenner, who belonged to the so-called "Hölzel Circle". From 1917 to 1919 he ran his own art school in Vienna, the "Itten School". From 1919 to 1923 he taught at the Bauhaus in Weimar as artistic director and form master of several workshops. He shaped the "preliminary course" set up together with Gertrud Grunow. His teaching sought to explain the properties of color in objective and abstract formal contexts.
In addition to his teaching work as a painter at the Bauhaus Weimar, Itten also conducted research into the effects of colors. As a painter, he was interested in the interaction of form and color. Both the assignment of colors to shapes and the reverse behavior gave him further knowledge when working with his students, which was incorporated into his theory. Itten was also temporarily a lecturer in wall and stained glass painting. He became the founder of color theory in his main work "The Art of Color". His theory of "Seven Color Contrasts" became established in modern art education. At the same time, through his teaching and work with students at the Bauhaus, he became the founder of color type theory.
In 1923 he moved back to Switzerland, where he dealt intensively with philosophy and mysticism. In 1921 he published the book Analyzes of Old Masters, and from 1926 to 1934 he taught in a private art school in Berlin. In 1938 he emigrated to Amsterdam. In the same year, 1938, he became director of the School of Applied Arts and the Museum of Applied Arts in Zurich. Itten was also director of the textile school from 1943 and director of the Rietberg Museum for Non-European Art from 1949. The publications "Art of Color" and "My Preliminary Course at the Bauhaus" followed in 1961 and 1963.
In addition to his teaching work as a painter at the Bauhaus Weimar, Itten also conducted research into the effects of colors. As a painter, he was interested in the interaction of form and color. Both the assignment of colors to shapes and the reverse behavior gave him further knowledge when working with his students, which was incorporated into his theory. Itten was also temporarily a lecturer in wall and stained glass painting. He became the founder of color theory in his main work "The Art of Color". His theory of "Seven Color Contrasts" became established in modern art education. At the same time, through his teaching and work with students at the Bauhaus, he became the founder of color type theory.
In 1923 he moved back to Switzerland, where he dealt intensively with philosophy and mysticism. In 1921 he published the book Analyzes of Old Masters, and from 1926 to 1934 he taught in a private art school in Berlin. In 1938 he emigrated to Amsterdam. In the same year, 1938, he became director of the School of Applied Arts and the Museum of Applied Arts in Zurich. Itten was also director of the textile school from 1943 and director of the Rietberg Museum for Non-European Art from 1949. The publications "Art of Color" and "My Preliminary Course at the Bauhaus" followed in 1961 and 1963.