Montblanc Masters of Art Homage to Vincent van Gogh

The first writings instrument in the new collection honours Van Gogh’s later years spent in Arles in South of France. The yellow Provençal light that symbolises much of his work is captured in Wheatfield with a Reaper from 1889, a motif and colourway that is celebrated throughout every detail of this design, including a special yellow Montblanc emblem. The shape of each writing instrument in the collection is an homage to Van Gogh’s fascination with Japanese woodblock prints, hinting at the shape of a wood-cutting knife, with the cap of the Limited Edition 4810 itself made from wood.

The design of this edition evokes the artist’s time in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Auvers-sur-Oise with details reflecting one of his most famous paintings, Wheatfield with Crows from 1890. Its incredible sense of movement is accentuated by his impasto technique, applied to both the swaying wheat crop as well as the black birds swooping across the canvas. The cap features translucent lacquer inlays in different shades of blue and in the solid Au 750 yellow gold skeleton overlay to mimic this vibrant contrast.

This edition looks to several of Van Gogh’s works, including his last painting Tree Roots from 1890. A group of trees with their roots exposed by erosion on the side of the hill, the colourful geometries of the painting greatly inspire the lacquered boyd of this edition. The cap references a gentile drawing from 1889 titled Wheatfield and Cypresses, engraved in Ag 925 sterling silver.

This writing instrument features a particularly masterful interpretation of Van Gogh’s impasto technique, where broad strokes of thick paint were applied with a palette knife to bring the canvas to life through texture and movement. The Harvest from 1888 inspires the brush strokes and technique used across the cap and barrel of the writing instrument.