Montblanc, for over 25 years, has recognized and celebrated the invaluable contribution of modern day patrons of the arts with its prestigious Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, and coinciding with the Award, is the commission of a unique limited edition writing instrument, inspired by a historical patron of the arts to honour the contemporary ones.
This year the iconic pen manufacturer pays tribute to Scipione Borghese (1577-1633), an Italian Cardinal, art collector, one of the greatest and most influential patrons of Baroque art in Rome, from the 17th century. The Patron of Art Edition draws inspiration from the legend’s great love for baroque art and his original legacy that lives on even today.
Scipione Borghese’s rapid rise in the Catholic Church brought with it great financial rewards, which allowed him to invest in art on an impressive scale. Scipione Caffarelli was 28 years old in 1605 when his life was changed by a stroke of good fortune. His uncle, Camillo Borghese, elected Pope Paul V in 1605, made him a cardinal allowing him to adopt the aristocratic Borghese name.
Scipione was empowered with the finances of both the Papacy and the Borghese Family, thus becoming one of the wealthiest men of his time. His enormous fortune was channeled into art. As patron to many artists, such has Gian Lorenzo Bernini and the painter Caravaggio, he paved their way to world fame. Their works formed the initial collection of the Galleria Borghese (one of the most valuable and significant art collections in Europe), which the cardinal, with his keen understanding of art, opened to international audiences.
Limited Edition 4810
The 4810 Patron of Art Edition is a homage to Scipione Borghese’s legacy – the establishment of his art collection at the Villa Borghese in Rome, which serves as a monument to Roman interior decoration with its most extravagant and the finest collections of Baroque sculpture anywhere in the world.
The antique marble color stands for the Ottoman Baroque style that dominates the interior decoration of Villa Borghese. The coin represents wealth and nobility, featuring the portrait of Scipione Borghese.
The fascinating embossment on the cap and cone of the Limited Edition Fountain Pen 4,810 takes inspiration from a Borghese Vase, wherein the top shape of the cap crowned with Montblanc emblem black and white and a precious resin is reminiscent of the cardinal’s hat, with the cone being motivated by the ancient coins featuring the cardinal’s face. Further, the Au750 solid gold ruthenium-coated gold nib of the pen is enriched with an engraving of the Borghese family coat of arms.
Limited Edition 888
The overall design and shape of the Limited Edition Fountain Pen 888 is inspired by the interior design of antique-colored marble and various marble sculptures in the Villa Borghese. The Edition is a unique blend of Roman interior decoration and Roman Baroque style.
The dark green marble of Cap and cone takes together with the skeletonized casing made of 750 red gold the design of the marble furnishings and the Floor of the Galleria. The pattern of the ring on the cap top is also inspired by the marble pillar inside Villa Borghese, while the top of the cap shape is inspired by his Cardinal hat.
The artful crafted clip, decorated with a smoky quartz, evokes associations with the branches of the mighty Pine trees in the haunting park of Villa Borghese. The drop-stone in the clip reminds the watercolors and adds an androgynous touch. The nib is enriched with a fine engraving inspired by the Scipione Borghese coat of arms and the coin made of 18K adorns the cone of the pen.
Limited Edition 89
On equivalent lines, the Scipione Borghese Limited Edition 888 recalls the artistry of the lavish Borghese Gallery, whereas the Borghese Limited Edition 89 plays a fitting example of the work that could be seen on a cabinet of curiosities. The skeletonised barrel beautifully encloses inserts of lapis lazuli, mammoth ivory, paua shell and fossilised dinosaur bone, much like its muse.
Scipione Borghese not only enriched Rome with one of the most valuable art collections in the world, he also created the sweeping landscape garden at Villa Borghese. Designed as a place of leisure, with exotic flora and fauna, rare trees and romantic corners, this spacious ensamble of magnificent art and nature attained international fame during the cardinal’s lifetime.
The extraordinary park landscape is reflected in the design of the exceptional clip and skeletonised casing surrounding the barrel, which is reminiscent of the branches of the park’s colossal trees. The water-drop shaped stone in the clip is a red garnet (Mozambique Granat: approx. 0,95-1,00ct) symbolising the cardinal’s love for exquisite details.
The cap top crowned with the Montblanc emblem in mother-of-pearl is shaped like a cardinal’s hat, while the cone made of Au750 gold is adorned with an ancient coin, which features a side portrait of Borghese. The cone details are reminiscent of antique motifs from the famous Borghese. The handcrafted Au750 gold nib is engraved with the Borghese Vase as well.
In reference to one of Bernini’s most praised sculptures, the 89-inch Rape of Proserpina commissioned by Scipione Borghese and displayed in the Borghese Gallery, the edition is limited to 89 pieces.
Limited Edition 3
The Borghese Limited Edition 3 comes with features such as an amber inlay, a skeletonized barrel, an intense red garnet at the base of the cone and a diamond encrusted cap top with a branch like clip, all reminiscent of the precious Baroque culture.
Launch 2017
Fountain Pen 4810
Fountain Pen 888
Fountain Pen 89
Fountain Pen 3
