Montblanc is known for a variety of limited edition collections honoring renowned figures of history. The Artisan Edition is designed to turn the spotlight on the highly trained craftsman of Montblanc, and each pen is the actualization of their passion and skill. These utterly unique writing instruments are made by a master craftsman using the finest materials and applying the utmost precision.
In 2016, as Montblanc celebrated 110 years of its “Pioneering Spirit,” it was focusing on this influential painter, art theorist and author, underscoring Kandinsky’s own pioneering vision, as inspired by his artistic journey from Moscow to Weimar and then Paris. Credited with creating one of the first purely abstract works of art, Kandinsky’s masterpieces have been admired and studied the world over. Interestingly, his career began 120 years ago, in 1896, when he gave up teaching to begin experimenting with paint. He believed that emulating nature was merely a distraction, and it was abstraction wherein he could develop a more meaningful visual medium.
The Montblanc Artisan Edition pays homage to the Russian-born artist Wassily Kandinsky – one of the most influential abstract artists of all time, bringing his work to life in its every detail, from the pen’s bold coloration to the exquisitely detailed cap.
Wassily Kandinsky’s artwork fundamentally changed how we think about art, opening the door to a whole new abstract universe. His legacy is expertly honoured with Montblanc’s Limited Edition 77 and Limited Edition 3 – whose visual motifs are inspired by the artist’s 1925 masterpiece Yellow-Red-Blue.
Limited Edition 77
The Artisan Edition Homage to Kandinsky Limited Edition 77, comprises 77 pieces in reference to the artist’s age when he died, in 1944. The inspiration for the creation of this series was the early years of the master in Russia and his outstanding contribution to the abstract movement in art. The skeletonized Au750 Champagne-tone gold cap uses the shapes and colors from the “Yellow-Red-Blue” painting. One of the wavy black lines characteristic of Kandinsky’s paintings rises above the rest of the geometric figures, turning into a pen clip.
The body of the pen reveals subtle gradations of color that perfectly complement the bold cap design – from dark blue to bordeaux red – copies the characteristic rich colors and shades of the famous painting. The upper part of the Montblanc handle recreates the shape of the domes of Moscow churches depicted on the artist’s early canvases and contrasts with the cap with its pronounced geometricity, inherent in the genius of the artist at the peak of his career.
Kandinsky’s complete signature is placed at the base of the cap, while the champagne-tone 18K gold nib is engraved with “K,” one of the artist’s famous flourishes. The Edition is crowned on the slanting cap top with the Montblanc emblem in mother of pearl under a sapphire glass dome, in reference to the shape the artist perceived as the most calm.
Limited Edition 3
The Homage to Wassily Kandinsky Limited Edition 3 captures his unique visual language in the use of shapes and colors to create the skeletonised Au750 solid white gold cap and barrel. This expression of abstract ideals is skillfully adorned with an array of precious gemstones, including diamonds, blue sapphires (1.3ct), rubies (0.75ct) and yellow sapphires (0.88ct). Diamonds and dark blue sapphires are set on the cone.
The Limited Edition 3 reveals a skeletonized cap in white gold featuring geometrical shapes in a layered, 3-D effect, with the curved black lines of “Yellow-Red-Blue,” one of his great masterpieces from his Bauhaus years (created in 1925). There are just three fountain pens in this edition, in reference to the three primary colors used in the abstract painting. The pen recreates these hues in yellow, red and blue gemstones exquisitely set in white gold.
The domed shape of the cone, which is set with rows of diamonds and blue sapphires, evokes Kandinsky’s Moscow church paintings. The colorful gemstones on the cap and barrel are symbolic of a prosperous time in Russia’s history, during the reign of Tsar Alexander II.
The artist’s dramatic signature in black lacquer adorns the cap of the pen and his “K” is engraved on a 18K gold nib. The cap top is crowned with a single Montblanc diamond (approx. 0.11ct) encapsulated in a dome, which is then encircled with a further two rows of diamonds.
Launch 2016
Fountain Pen 77
Fountain Pen 3
