Van Gogh is introduced into the Master of Art Collection through five writing instruments (All photos: Montblanc)
We often like to think of Vincent van Gogh as a figure of the elements. Whether he is buffeted by the rain or going mad in the sunflower fields under the melting Provençal sun, the great Dutch artist and his magnificent opus lent a broad range of creative opportunities even in modern times.
Taking up that chance is Montblanc, which has partnered Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum in a new Masters of Art collection, succeeding the Montblanc Patron of Art collection after 30 years as the luxury house shifts the focus from patrons to masters. The new series of limited editions will illuminate a variety of visual artists within a wide spectrum of disciplines and periods.
First on the tribute roster is the eminent 19th century painter, whose visionary ideas were seen as precursors to modernism. Van Gogh is introduced into the Master of Art Collection through five writing instruments that pay homage to some of his most well-known works, dramatic brushstrokes and impasto techniques.
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The Vincent van Gogh Limited Edition 4810 fountain pen with a rollerball version celebrates his time in Arles, France, with details evoking the wheat fields in his most famous paintings, Sunflowers. An engraving of “1888”, juxtaposed against the orange lacquer to connote a time of brightness, commemorates the year he moved to the city on the Rhône River.
The most limited among the quintet is an eight-piece testament to the colours and brush style reminiscent of Wheatfield with Crows, which, as its name suggests, depicts a bright yellow wheat field dotted with blackbirds roaming a deep blue sky. The jewel-like quality of the vast horizon is captured in the blue lacquer artwork on the solid Au 750 signature gold cap and barrel partly set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It is also embellished with elaborate marquetry, with small pieces of mother-of-pearl, sycamore, tulip tree, beetle elytra and straw composing the design.
The museum has been tasked to keep each detail of Montblanc’s pens true to Van Gogh’s work and biography, acting as guardian of his heritage. Accompanying this series are notebooks and cufflinks crafted in stainless steel, blue lacquer and sapphire glass that reflect the mesmerising skies seen in his masterpieces.
This article first appeared on May 1, 2023 in The Edge Malaysia.
