“Art must take reality by surprise,” said French novelist Francoise Sagan. And Montblanc has indeed surprised once again with its latest Patron of Art pen collection, while supporting the reality of – and the need for – arts patronage, which is the core of the collection’s reason for being.
In a letter to his former governess, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, known to feel passionately about art and music, wrote “I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others” and people continue to be fascinated by the enigmatic figure. His call to duty came at the age of 18 when he held the destiny of a kingdom in his young hands. A proponent of absolutism, he revered a romantic ideal of kingship as represented by the French Sun King Louis XIV. After the restriction of Bavaria’s sovereignty in 1870 , Ludwig retreated more and more from the political arena and devoted his energies instead to music and art. Richard Wagner’s “Lohengrin” was the first opera Ludwig ever attended and it would have a permanent influence on his aesthetic ideals. The swan became his royal emblem.
Also called the Fairy-Tale King and the Swan King, he exercited his penchant for elaborate castles by building three architectural masterpieces: Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee and Neuschwanstein, the fanciful vision of a medieval fortress. The swan, ever-present in Ludwig’s castles, inspired the design of this model.
The image of a swan was a recurring motif throughout the king’s life, beginning with the castle where he grew up, Hohenschwangau (“high region of the swan”). This imagery is captured on the Ludwig II limited Edition 4810, beginning with the cap, wherein translucent lacquer reveals a feather-like guilloche design beneath it. The barrel of the pen is translucent blue lacquer, mirroring the color of Ludwig’s official royal portrait as well as the blue of the pillars inside the throne room at Neuschwanstein. The opera that inspired the young Ludwig to live a life of patronage, Wagner’s Lohengrin, is referenced on the champagne gold-coated cap ring, which is engraved “WWV 75.” The clip is gracefully curved like the profile of a swan, and the 18K gold nib features a likeness of Neuschwanstein.
Ludwig’s passion for creating paradises and poetic refuges where he could escape from the real world earned him his “Fairy Tale King” moniker. With its birds and floral motifs, the skeleton design of the Patron of Art Homage to Ludwig II Limited Edition 888 is inspired by mural paintings of the lavish throne room at Neuschwanstein. The intricate Au750 solid gold overlay features a cut out design that allows the translucent white lacquer to show underneath, finely paired with a platinum coated swan-shaped clip and fittings decorated with engravings. Evoking the opulent surroundings the king created in each of his palaces, the cap ring is set with a round cut ruby and the Montblanc emblem at the top of the cap is made of precious mother of pearl.
As lavish and elaborate as King Ludwig’s spectacular fairy tale castles, the Patron of Art Homage to Ludwig II Limited Edition 40 pairs the technical virtuosity of the métiers d’art with some of the most precious materials. With a limitation of number of just 40 pieces in reference to the age at which Ludwig died in 1886, the fountain pen is made from solid Au750 champagne-coloured gold. The cap of the writing instrument features a guilloché under a white lacquer surface masterfully decorated with a hand-engraved gold inlay of a lion motif, symbol of Bavaria. The barrel features an inlay of miniature feather work under a sapphire glass created by a skilled artisan leaning on the near-forgotten art of plumasserie, or the craft of preparing and applying feathers by hand. The feather art is surrounded by a guilloché pattern on the solid gold barrel inspired by the grandiose architecture of Neuschwanstein. To add to the precious quality of the writing masterpiece, the cap top is set with a Montblanc diamond and a ruby baguette, the cone is embellished with a line of rubies above the engraving of the king’s initials and two rubies sparkle as the swan’s eyes on the pen’s clip. The intricate design engraved on the gold nib of the fountain pen recalls the one of the flying machines that Ludwig II dreamed of journeying in to his castle.
The most exclusive of the collection, with only five pieces available, the Ludwig II Limited Edition 5 is in solid champagne-colored gold in a Romanesque design, alight with pavé-set diamonds. The barrel features an inlay of miniature plumasserie framed by an opulent guilloche pattern. The cone is shaped like a tower at Neuschwanstein, and its engraving is inspired by the monarch’s seal, while the precious gold royal crown on the cap top is set with a Montblanc Diamond fit for a king.
An enigmatic and inspired king that still fascinates 130 years after his death, Ludwig II has left an indelible legacy on culture. From his patronage of Richard Wagner and his great operas that still enthral audiences today to the fantastical castles of Bavaria that continue to attract visitors from around the world, Montblanc remembers with artistry and technical virtuosity a man who spent his life in pursuit of beauty and artistic excellence.
Launch 2018
Limitation:
Fountain Pens 4,810
Fountain Pens 888
Fountain Pens 40
Fountain Pens 5
Fountain Pen 4810
Fountain Pen 888
Fountain Pen 40
Fountain Pen 5
