It is not the first time that the luxury brand draws inspiration and celebrates artistic virtuosity and creation, drawing from the great artists and artworks of all time. Now, Montblanc pays homage to one of the leading artists of the Art Nouveau movement and a pioneering rebel of avant-gardism: Gustav Klimt.
The Masters of Art collector’s line, a series of collections that pay tribute to the pursuit of great artists for self-expression in all disciplines — a quest that the maison celebrates and participates in as an emblem rooted in craftsmanship mastery —, was recently expanded with the second collection, paying tribute to the creative visionary Gustav Klimt, considered one of the most important artists of Art Nouveau and Symbolism.
Gustav Klimt (1862), a skilled colorist and representative of a new decorative aesthetic beyond the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, expanded his horizons beyond traditional art at the age of 35 and inaugurated a radical change of style by founding the “Vienna Secession”: a new association of progressive artists. In his rebellion against stereotyped concepts in art and society, Klimt was a pioneer of avant-gardism, experimenting with new and unconventional means of expression. The artist merged realistic representation, ornamentation, and abstraction into a style that reached its peak in his visionary large-format portraits, often portraying women. Klimt created important paintings infused with gold, such as The Kiss, as well as abstract murals, such as the Beethoven Frieze and the Stoclet Frieze.
Like in the entire Masters of Art collection, the proportions of the cap and body of the writing instruments correspond to the golden ratio, a timeless aesthetic principle that connects many of the world’s most admired artworks. The key design details featured in each of the five limited editions that make up the “Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt” collection are inspired by Klimt’s artistic influences and vision. The overall shape is inspired by that important Viennese moment, with the “cuts” created by the rings symbolizing the cuts in Secession architecture — the cone is inspired by the dome of the Vienna Secession building, while the green inlay recalls the color of the Ver Sacrum group’s magazine.
The specially designed clip refers to Klimt’s painting Pallas Athene: the slightly curved lines ending in three spirals correspond to the decoration of the painting’s forged metal frame, which the artist commissioned for his painting of the goddess. The spiral ornamentation, a typical motif found in Mycenaean gold jewelry, refers to Athena’s Greek homeland. The “GK”, featured in all editions, is Gustav Klimt’s monogram published in the Vienna Secession’s XIV catalog in 1902.
Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 4810
In reference to the height of Mont Blanc, the “Montblanc Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 4810” celebrates Klimt’s artistic beginnings in the Vienna Secession and highlights elements of the masterpieces Pallas Athene and The Kiss in its design. The combination of translucent blue lacquer and hammered metal coated in yellow gold, the cone set with a green synthetic spinel, the handcrafted solid yellow gold Au 750 nib finely engraved, and the Montblanc emblem in precious white and black resin inset at the top of the cap are part of its features.
Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 888
Noteworthy is the relief in solid yellow gold Au 750 on the platinum-coated cap, with spirals and vertical lines, symbolizing the strings of a lyre, the two-dimensional lines inspired by the reliefs of the Secession building facade against the matte background of the platinum-coated cap and body, the combination of solid yellow gold Au 750 and platinum-coated metal on the cap and body, enriched by a malachite cabochon on the cone, the handcrafted solid yellow gold Au 750 nib adorned with engraved graphic elements, and the Montblanc emblem crowning the edition, in mother-of-pearl and set in solid yellow gold Au 750.
Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 161
Limited to 161 pieces in reference to the golden ratio as the ideal measure that incorporates aesthetic harmony, the design of the “Montblanc Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 161” is based on his work The Kiss and is dedicated to the artist’s love for Japanese art and culture. Engravings on the solid rose gold Au 750 cone and part of the cap in sterling silver Ag 925, the interplay between sterling silver Ag 925 and solid gold Au 750, the green aventurine cabochon on the cone, the Montblanc emblem in mother-of-pearl inserted at the top of the cap, set in solid rose gold Au 750, the handcrafted solid gold Au 750 nib adorned with artistic decoration of curved lines and spirals, and intertwined in the nib pattern the Phi symbol, symbolizing the irrational number 1.61 with its infinite decimals, designating the proportions of the golden ratio, summarize its aesthetic.
Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 97
Crafted in solid gold Au 750, lacquer, and stone inlays, it showcases a pattern, on the top of the cap and body, inspired by the motif Klimt used in the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer and in The Kiss; the mosaic in black onyx and white agate on the cone also refer to the famous works — inset with a chrysoprase cabochon at the base. The white agate, used to produce the Montblanc emblem stone, set in solid yellow gold Au 750 at the top of the cap, the engraving in solid gold Au 750 on the front, the gold-coated clip inset with three brilliant-cut diamonds, and the owl, symbol of the Secession, adorning the handcrafted solid yellow gold Au 750 nib, underscore the craftsmanship of the brand’s artisans.
Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt Limited Edition 8
It is the rarest of editions, limited to only eight pieces in reference to the lucky number in Asian cultures. On the cap and body, white marble enhances the skeletonized decoration in solid gold Au 750 of triangles, spirals, and lines embellished by elaborate engraving techniques, as well as inlays of mother-of-pearl, black onyx, and jade. Cap in solid yellow gold Au 750, in hand-engraved black onyx, adorned with a red ruby. The solid gold Au 750 decoration of Limited Edition 8, executed using jewelry techniques, transitions on the cone to a mosaic effect produced from hand-engraved solid gold Au 750 and inset with individually faceted tsavorite, amethyst, and citrine gemstones. The handcrafted solid gold Au 750 nib is decorated with a special relief of various shapes reflecting Klimt’s typical geometric language. The clip is highlighted by brilliant-cut diamonds and the top of the cap is crowned with a Montblanc emblem inset with diamonds.
Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt: the accessories
In addition to the five limited edition writing instruments, the notebook with a gold cover and the deep blue ink of the exclusive Montblanc glass bottle completes the writing experience.
The Montblanc Masters of Art Tribute to Gustav Klimt collection is now available at Montblanc boutiques worldwide and online.
