The Montblanc Writers Edition celebrates authors who have shaped culture through the written word. Every edition delves into the stories and accomplishments of the remarkable voices who have left an indelible mark on humankind through their body of work.
With its latest Montblanc Writers Edition, the Maison pays homage to one of the greatest literary and intellectual figures of all time – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832). Writer, both world literature and human knowledge are captured in a new collection of writing instruments that brings to life the many facets of his genius. His masterpiece Faust and his many other groundbreaking works in natural science, philosophy and the arts continue to inspire generations.
As part of this homage, Montblanc is supporting the renovation of Goethe House with a donation, including dedicated funding towards the preservation of the Juno bust – an artefact of immense personal significance to Goethe.
The centre of life and career for many years that saw the creation of numerous important works, Goethe House served as inspiration for various design elements in the collection, with the features of the Juno bust notably decorating one of the writing instruments.
A Writer, a Thinker, a Visionary
The Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe explores the wide-ranging interests of the German polymath through four limited editions, each representing a different dimension of his life and work – writer, statesman, collector and scientist. Every design detail draws from his prolific output and intellectual passions – from natural sciences to world literature, from experimental glassware to the poetic beauty of nature.
The shape of the barrel and the cone is modelled on a historic writing instrument that Goethe holds in a painting by Carl August Schwerdgeburth, a reference to his status as a writer across many different genres including poetry, drama, novels, academic treatises and autobiographical works.
The cap top in the shape of a globe symbolises his reach as a world literary figure and his influence on other writers and artists around the world. The shape of the cap is based on a historical jar and is intended to commemorate Goethe’s achievements as a collector and researcher in botany, optics and geology. A further reference to his contributions to botany, the clip is shaped like a leaf in recognition of the importance of his work The Metamorphosis of Plants.
Writers Edition – Limited Edition
Dedicated to Goethe the writer, the blue-grey hue and subtle marbled texture of the cap and barrel of the edition recall the study where he wrote and the same room which houses his beloved bust of Juno Ludovisi to this day.
The engraving on the barrel ring, meanwhile, echoes the framing of a copperplate illustration in an early edition of his work The Sorrows of Young Werther.
A floral motif on the cap top, referring to a decoration found on a letter to his love interest Charlotte Kestner who inspired his writing of Werther, lends a personal and emotional tone to the writer’s voice.
The signature gold-coated clip is shaped like a leaf, recalling The Metamorphosis of Plants.
The solid Au 750 rhodium-coated gold nib features a delicate illustration of Faust as imagined by Eugène Delacroix. Further literary references include the word “Faust” from the 1790 edition, which decorates the nib, and the quote “Quod erat demonstrandum” from an 1814 invitation card reproduced on the side of the cap.
The Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is available as a Fountain Pen, Rollerball, Ballpoint Pen and Mechanical Pencil.
Limited Edition 1808 – The Statesman
With a limitation number referring to the year his masterpiece Faust was published, this edition features a carmine red shade on the barrel reminiscent of a ceremonial sash and overlaid with a gold pattern inspired by the House Order of Vigilance which Goethe received for his special services to the Weimar court.
The pattern on the cone evokes the calligraphy on Goethe’s certificate of appointment as Privy Legation Councillor, and the base reveals his own sketch of the Earth Spirit, the powerful entity that symbolises the forces of nature and the human connection to the natural world in Faust.
The design of the cap is based on an illustration created for the edition of Faust Part I inspired by Rembrandt’s The Alchemist at Home (1652), which is thought to depict the Doctor or a Faustian figure looking at a window where a magic disc shines at him.
The pattern on the cap top and cone ring are taken from the design of his court uniform.
Crafted from solid Au 750 gold, the bi-colour nib is adorned with one of the main scenes from Faust: Mephistopheles flying above the nocturnal city, as depicted in the original illustration by Eugène Delacroix.
The Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition 1808 is available as a Fountain Pen and Rollerball.
Limited Edition 88 – The Collector
Limited to 88 pieces in reference to the year 1788 when Goethe returned from his Italian Journey, this design of the edition draws on his Italian experience and passion for collecting art and artefacts.
Inspired by this time, the barrel is crafted from ebony wood with partly rhodium-coated solid gold fittings. A hand-engraved bust of Juno Ludovisi appears on the barrel set against the wings of the statue of Victoria of Fossombrone, also on display in Goethe’s home in Weimar.
The cap is made from walnut wood in the shape of a pinecone, a memento Goethe collected in Italy as a wonder of nature itself and as a reminder of an antique bronze pinecone sculpture he had admired at the Vatican.
The cap top is decorated with a delicate pattern reminiscent of Karlsbad glass, from which Goethe went to great lengths to produce a total of eleven drinking glasses and enjoyed demonstrating their surprising colour effects to his Weimar guests.
Crafted from solid Au 750 gold, the bi-colour nib bears an illustration of Faust by Delacroix. The quote “Das Ewig Weibliche zieht uns hinan”, a nod to Faust, adorns the gold cone, while a silver obsidian inlay recalls a stone Goethe found in Italy.
Crowning the edition, the Montblanc emblem is made of rock crystal set in solid Au 750 gold.
The Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition 88 is available as a Fountain Pen.
Limited Edition 8 – The Scientist
A celebration of Goethe the scientist, this ultra-limited edition features a cap and barrel shaped like the pinecone from his Italian Journey.
Made from solid Au 750 gold with elaborate inlays of lapis lacquer and jasper lacquer, white and pink mother-of-pearl and ebony wood, the design reflects his fascination with the natural world while the colour scheme receives its inspiration from his work Theory of Colours.
The dome-shaped cap top is crafted from rock crystal framed in gold and crowned by the hand-engraved Montblanc emblem as well as a hand-painted golden snake – a reference to the drinking glasses commissioned by Goethe in Karlsbad with which he would demonstrate the astonishing effects of colour.
At the base, the cone is encircled by a band of lacquer inlays whose colours are inspired by those Goethe observed during his experiments with glass prisms.
This empirical research in the field of optics is also immortalised in the rock crystal inlaid between gold rings at the tapered end of the cone, in addition to his engraved signature.
On the bottom of the cone, an inlay of granite represents geology and the origins of the Earth.
The solid Au 750 gold nib showcases an illustration of Faust in his study, while the engraving of swirling lines on the solid, rhodium-coated section reflects Goethe’s research in optics and the cards he devised to illustrate them.
The limitation of the edition to just eight pieces refers to the number “8” – a Faustian numerical incantation, that marks the accomplishment of the great task.
A Complete Montblanc Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Writing Experience
To complete the collection, Montblanc is introducing a notebook decorated with an illustration from Goethe’s chromatic deck of cards featured in his work Theory of Colours.
A circular box of inks recreates a symmetrical colour wheel, through which the polymath observed the effects of opposed colours and attributed symbolic qualities to each one. The box unveils a selection of 6 ink bottles, each matching a colour on the wheel.
A pair of round stainless steel cufflinks with blue-grey precious resin detailing completes the collection of accessories.
Explore the new collection in your nearest Montblanc:
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