Before joining the Bauhaus Itten headed his own art school in Vienna. At the Bauhaus he
designed an innovative introductory course: he let
students explore form, color, rhythm and contrast. Itten's principles were of tremendous
influence not only on art education, but also on Kandinsky and Klee.
Opposed to the Bauhaus producing commercial work,
a longstanding conflict with Gropius led Itten to resign in 1923, when Moholy-Nagy
took over his position.