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Collections

Johannes Itten
Utopia: Documents of reality1921

Not on view
Cover design drawing on tan paper combining collaged metallic and colored geometric letterforms spelling 'UTOPIA' above hand-lettered German text
Color theory diagram with a twelve-pointed star wheel showing named hues in German, including Gelb, Orange, Zinnober, Karmin, Purpur, and Ultramann, radiating from a white center through concentric rings of increasing saturation; below, a rectangular grid of color swatches arranged in rows from dark to light across the full spectrum. German text reads "Farbenkugel, 7 Lichtstufen und 12 Tönen."
Ink and wash drawing on paper showing geometric analysis of a composition: a square subdivided by a grid overlaid with diagonal lines forming a large triangle, a circle at center, and labeled points A, B, C, D. Handwritten German annotations and the ratio 3:4:5 appear below.
Halftone reproduction of a late medieval panel painting; a haloed seated woman holds an infant at center, surrounded by kneeling and standing figures in robes and crowns, beneath a dark star-studded sky with a wooden shelter at left.
Ink drawing with loose, gestural linework depicting intertwined figures and flowing forms within a loosely sketched rectangle, surrounded by German calligraphic annotations and small sketch studies of trees and foliage in the margins.
Ink drawing divided into two compositional sections with German script annotations. Upper section shows loose, energetic linework depicting swirling robed figures amid radiating light beams, with the word "Geburt" in decorative lettering above. Lower left contains a high-contrast black panel with a small figure beneath a descending beam. To the right, handwritten German text accompanies a circle and a grid square with the label "Rhythmus."
Ink drawing on paper combining expressive line work, German script annotations, and compositional studies. Upper section shows a robed figure with a circular halo amid flowing curves and star-dotted sky. Lower section includes geometric diagrams, a small photographic inset, circular forms, and handwritten color notes in Gothic lettering.
Artist or Maker
Johannes Itten
Switzerland, Schwartzenegg, 1888-1967
Artist or Maker
Oskar Schlemmer
Title
Utopia: Documents of reality
Place Made
Germany, Weimar
Date Made
1921
Medium
Printed material and ten lithograph on Japan paper plus one drawing on parchment
Dimensions
Overall: 13 1/16 x 9 3/4 x 1/2 in. (33.18 x 24.77 x 1.27 cm)
Credit Line
The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies, purchased with funds provided by Anna Bing Arnold, Museum Associates Acquisition Fund, and deaccession funds
Accession Number
83.1.93a-k
Classification
Books
Collecting Area
Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies
Selected Bibliography
  • Benson, Timothy O. and Andrea Gyorody. A New Generation of Creators: Selections from The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2017.