Writers Edition Fountain Pen Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition (M)

At the center of the intellectual awakening of the 18th century, the writings of one man in particular have stood the test of time: those of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. A polymath, giant of German literature, lawyer, minister, theater director as well as a prodigious collector and naturalist, he was in every respect a revolutionary, eager to push the boundaries of perception and learning. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, his creative versatility knew no bounds. The philosophical depth of "Faust," the lyrical subtlety of his poetry, and the breadth of scientific exploration behind his theory of colors and botanical treatises have had historical significance and testify, through their variety and considerable influence, to Goethe's genius. Poet and statesman, advisor, friend, and lover, he left an indelible mark on the world around him and remains today a source of inspiration and vision. With the support of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar and the Goethe National Museum it houses, Montblanc dedicates its Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition to this universal genius, emphasizing his literary works. Writing was Goethe's raison d'être. The largest edition of his works and writings today includes 40 volumes, containing about 3,000 poems. His drama Götz von Berlichingen was published anonymously in 1773, but a year later, a period of frenetic activity led him to write The Sorrows of Young Werther in less than four weeks, propelling the 25-year-old lawyer to overnight fame. Young Werther put German writing on the European literary map. It is the story of a young man caught between love and duty, between burning passion and social conventions. A whole generation found itself in the fate of the unfortunate Werther. The novel even influenced this limited edition: its impressive description of marble inspired the appearance of the precious lacquer of the cap and body, while the engraving on the body ring echoes the framing of a copperplate illustration in an old edition of Werther. Another key design element recalls Goethe's house in Weimar. The shade of blue and the pattern of the precious lacquer reflect the color and structure of the wallpaper in the Juno room in the writer's house. The golden and platinum-plated attributes, characteristic of the collection, also recall other decorative elements of the interior. A charming pattern resembling a cloverleaf necklace is engraved on the top of the cap. This detail comes from a letter written by Goethe to his beloved Charlotte Buff, who served as the model for the character Lotte in The Sorrows of Young Werther. A remarkable work of the Sturm und Drang movement, the young Goethe's epistolary novel was hailed as a stroke of genius and, above all, as a masterpiece of world literature. In a letter dated January 26, 1827, Goethe interpreted the term "world literature" in a much more literal way than today, meaning a global process of literary communication and mutual artistic stimulation. Just as he incorporated elements of Persian poetry into his West-Eastern Divan cycle, this literature should aspire to be the expression of universality, transcending all linguistic, ethnic, and temporal barriers. Symbol From this concept of a global literary dialogue, embodied by the term "world literature" by Goethe, the cap takes the shape of a globe, crowned by the Montblanc emblem. Goethe's work, Faust. A Tragedy is considered one of the most translated and performed plays in the world. Goethe himself praised a series of lithographs by painter Eugène Delacroix, commissioned to illustrate the French translation of Faust. His depiction of Mephistopheles, flying over the nocturnal city, is featured in the elaborate scene engraved on the nib. The inscriptions "Faust" and "1790" recall the publication date in Leipzig of Faust. A Fragment. Faust's thirst for knowledge and his irrepressible desire to uncover the secrets of the world reflect Goethe's passion for the study of natural phenomena. In his old age, he even considered his scientific achievements more precious than his poetic works. In his Theory of Colors, he addressed a wide range of subjects, from physics to the psychology of colors, opening an entirely new perspective on the essence of color. He also devoted himself to optics and anatomy, biology and geology, archiving thousands of scientific specimens in jars and boxes. The slightly curved shape of the cap, resembling a chemist's glass jar, is a tribute to Goethe's achievements as a scientist and collector. The leaf-shaped clip pays homage to his studies in the field of morphology and particularly to his proposal of an archetypal plant form. He even transposed this idea into verse in his didactic love poem The Metamorphosis of Plants. The inspiration for the overall design of the limited edition, especially for the body and the cone, is drawn from the type of historical writing instrument with which Goethe put down on paper all his knowledge, ideas, and the fruits of his seemingly limitless poetic imagination.

Ident No. 131436
Color: Blue
Mechanism: Fountain pen 
Dimensions: 145.9 x 16.9 mm
Physical weight: 58.15 g