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Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim 888 limited edition pen. Photo by: Montblanc
For over 25 years Montblanc’s limited edition Patron of Art pens, in conjunction the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, have focused on individuals who have positively changed the world in a significant way. This year’s Montblanc Patron of Art Edition Peggy Guggenheim is a tribute to a woman whose lifelong dedication to art and artists is indeed remarkable and changed not only her corner of the globe, but the art world at large.
The first Montblanc de la Culture Patron of Art pen, introduced in 1992, was inspired by the largesse of the Medicis, the famed Italian family known for its sponsorship of art and architecture, particularly during the Renaissance. In fact, the very first Montblanc Patron of Art pen was named the Lorenzo de Medici, in homage to the man famously known for his support of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, among many others. This gorgeous limited edition pen, with its faceted sterling silver engraved overlay, took writing instrument fans by storm—both for its beauty and for the initiative it represented. A diverse collection of individuals have inspired the annual editions that followed, from Luciano Pavarotti to Pope Julius II, from Gaius Maecenas to Max Von Oppenheim.
Each Patron of Art Edition recalls its namesake in its details. For example, the Sir Henry Tate of 2006 is inspired by the neoclassical architecture of Tate Britain, the museum financed by Sir Henry Tate. The geometrical lines of the platinum-plated body and the decoration of the cap rings reflect elements in the style of the building. So, too, the Henry E. Steinway from 2014 conjures the classic and simple beauty of a Steinway piano with its shiny black and gold aesthetic.
The 2016 Montblanc Patron of Art Edition Peggy Guggenheim remembers a person as multi-faceted as her taste in art. Daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim, a casualty of the Titanic, Peggy was also the niece of Solomon R. Guggenheim, who established the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Guggenheim Museum. Her voracious art collecting, which occurred mostly between the late 1930s and 1946, eventually formed the basis of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the modern art museum on the Grand Canal in Venice.
The Limited Edition 888 writing instrument created in her honor features a geometric art deco-inspired pattern on the cap and barrel, which is accented with red lacquer. The engravings of lion heads on the red gold cap ring are inspired by the exterior of the “Palazzo Venier dei Leoni,” Peggy’s Venice home for 30 years. The cap ring is also embellished with 10 garnets—the eyes of the lions—and the end of the barrel is reminiscent of the red and white striped mooring pillars found on the Venice waterways. The Montblanc snow-cap emblem, in white marble, crowns the cap. In a touch of whimsy, the paws engraved on the gold nib of the fountain pen recall the special affection Ms. Guggenheim had for her 14 Lhasa Apso dogs.
The Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim Limited Edition 4810 series (comprising 4,810 pieces) features the geometric art deco design on a black lacquered and platinum-coated cap and barrel, contrasting with the red and platinum-coated stripes on the end of the barrel. The platinum-coated cap ring is elegantly embossed with lion heads, while the Montblanc emblem that crowns the fountain pen is made of the traditional black and white resin.
An ultra-limited version of the pen, comprising just 81 pieces in honor of the age at which Ms. Guggenheim passed away, is crafted in gold and features a "skeletonized" decor.
