Rote Lilie

This painting was created by Johannes Itten, a well-known Bauhaus master who emphasized the importance of individual sensitivity to color, texture, material, and natural form. He explored the harmony between color and nature. Johannes Itten was influenced, specifically, by Japanese ink painting and incorporated its aesthetic in his teaching at Bauhaus. Itten learned Japanese ink painting, specifically Nanga style, from Shounan Mizukoshi. Looking at his works, including the Rote Lilie, it is evident how the soft, stroke-like, and gentle aesthetics of Japanese ink paintings have presented themselves in his works. This is also seen through the distinct Japanese ink painting characteristics, such as minimalism and monochromatic, that are heavily evident in his painting.