About This MontBlanc Pen: Gaius Maecenas — the first patron of the arts and culture. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas was born around 70 BC in what is today known as Arezzo in Tuscany. Well educated and of aristocratic birth, Maecenas enjoyed immense wealth throughout his life and achieved political influence as a friend and advisor of the Roman Emperor Augustus. To mark the 20th anniversary of the Montblanc Patron of Art Edition, Montblanc is honouring Gaius Cilnius Maecenas – whose name has become an eponym for "patron of the arts" – with a limited edition luxury fountain pen. The design of both Editions is inspired by the columns of Roman temples. The barrel of Edition 4810 is finished in marbled lacquer, while the barrel of Edition 888 is made of the finest marble in homage to the material that has come to symbolise the Roman Empire.

About This MontBlanc Pen: The Patron of Art Edition “Sir Henry Tate”, strictly limited to 4810 fountain pens, is characterised by clear, tectonic shapes. The inspirational source is the neoclassical architecture of Tate Britain, the museum financed by Sir Henry Tate. The geometrical lines of the platinum-plated body and the decoration of the cap rings reflect characteristic elements in the style of the museum building. In elegant contrast, the cap and body feature red lacquer guilloche inlays and the cap head bears an ivory-coloured Montblanc star. The platinum-plated 18-karat gold nib can be retracted with a twisting movement. It is finely engraved with two sugar canes, an allusion to the raw material that enabled Sir Henry Tate, as it says in his foundation statutes “to help British art achieve its rightful place and thus provide pleasure to millions of people in this and further generations”. The exclusive edition also includes the fountain pen “Sir Henry Tate”, of which only 888 will be produced. Made of solid 750 white gold and completed with grey lacquer inlay work. The cap head is surrounded by a series of square-cut diamonds. The most significant patron of British art was a successful sugar trader: Sir Henry Tate. Born in Lanca-shire in 1819, the industrialist used his negotiating skills and innovative spirit to build a sugar empire out of a small company. He invested his wealth in contemporary art, founded universities, hospitals and libraries and opened the art treasures of his house to the public every Sunday. With a generous donation of £80,000 and 65 valuable paintings from his private collection, Sir Henry Tate laid the foundations for the most important collection of British art in the United Kingdom in 1879. Today, the name “Tate” stands for a unique network of the fine arts – for four world-renowned museums in which the cultural spirit of their eponymous patron lives on.

About This MontBlanc Pen: The Victorian era is generally viewed as one of the most outstanding periods of English culture. Its special elegance is recaptured in the pens from the Writers Edition Charles Dickens. The barrel, made of the finest greenish precious resin, is decorated by the writer’s signature. The 925 sterling silver fluted cap and the rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib, with its engraving of the monogram of Charles Dickens, provide an elegant finishing touch to this tribute to the most famous author of the Victorian era. Charles Dickens is still one of the best-known and most frequently read authors of English literature. His unique skill for creating true pictures from words, his unerring feel for the mood of Victorian England and the power and passion of his trenchant and satirical narratives have alternately made his readers laugh and moved them to tears. Charles Dickens’ masterpieces such as “Oliver Twist” and “David Copperfield” have not lost any of their fascination, even in today’s world.