At the centre of the intellectual awakening of the 18th century was one man in particular whose written word has stood the test of time: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Polymath, giant of German literature, lawyer, government minister, theatre director and a prodigious collector and naturalist, he was in every way a revolutionary, intent on pushing back 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 colour theory and botanical treatises were of epochal significance and testify in their variety and far-reaching influence to Goethe’s genius. As a poet and statesman, advisor, friend and lover, he left an indelible mark on the world around him and serves to this day as a source of inspiration and vision. With the support of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar and the Goethe National Museum it houses, Montblanc is dedicating its Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition 1808 to this universal genius, focusing especially on his role as a statesman. Goethe shaped his time with words and deeds. The largest edition of his complete works and writings currently comprises 40 volumes, containing around 3,000 poems alone. His drama, Götz von Berlichingen, was published anonymously in 1773, but just one year later The Sorrows of Young Werther, written in less than four weeks, catapulted the 25-year-old lawyer to overnight fame. His reputation did not go unnoticed in Weimar, where the young duke, Karl August, was keen to transform his duchy into a ‘Court of the Muses’. Goethe’s move to Weimar marked a turning point in his life. Here, he was no longer only seen as a renowned poet and philosopher but also acted as a statesman and reformer, reactivating the tradition of silver mining, reorganising economic and fiscal policy and rising rapidly to become chief advisor to the duke. Goethe was ennobled in 1782 in recognition of his services to the Weimar court and in 1816 was awarded the Order of the White Falcon, also known as the House Order of Vigilance. This star-shaped badge was the inspiration behind the gold-coated embellishment on the barrel of this limited edition. The carmine red lacquer underneath references the colour of the ceremonial sash worn by Goethe in the portrait by Gerhard von Kügelgen. The pattern in gold traced around the cap resembles the rounded arches which feature so prominently in a Rembrandt etching adapted for the frontispiece of Goethe’s ‘Faust fragment’ of 1790. The figure of Faust occupied Goethe for almost his entire life. He wrote an early version, Urfaust, then A Fragment and finally, his world-famous drama Faust I, published in 1808. Unsurpassed in its eloquence and global significance, this drama is a true masterpiece of world literature. Goethe himself coined the term ‘world literature’, using it to signify an expression of universality, transcending all linguistic, ethnic and temporal barriers. As a symbol of Goethe’s concept of ‘world literature’, the cap takes the form of a globe, crowned by the Montblanc emblem. The slightly curved shape of the cap, which resembles an historic chemist’s glass jar, is a tribute to Goethe’s accomplishments as a scientist and collector. The clip in the shape of a leaf and the engraved signature honour his extraordinary studies in the field of morphology and specifically his proposition of an archetypal plant form. He even transposed this idea into verse in his didactic love poem The Metamorphosis of Plants. This and all his other musings and discoveries were committed to paper using the kind of treasured writing instruments which inspired the historical look of the entire Writers Edition. Unlike Goethe himself, whose studies served to further scientific enquiry, his fictional counterpart was plagued by doubt. Faust, failing to achieve his own scholarly goals, turns instead to magic, invoking the ‘Earth Spirit’. The dramatic scene in which the light radiating from this overpowering presence fills the chamber, was captured in one of Goethe’s own sketches and is the model for the engraving on the cone tip. While further engravings around the cone are borrowed from the embellishments on his certificate of appointment as Privy Legation Councillor in Weimar, the solid Au 750 gold nib is adorned with one of the main scenes from Faust: Mephistopheles, flying above the nocturnal city as in the original illustration by Eugène Delacroix. The lettering and date above it recall the date of publication in Leipzig of Faust. A Fragment in 1790. As a nod to the year of publication of Faust I, a milestone in German theatre and one of the most frequently translated and performed dramas in the world, this limited edition comprises just 1808 pieces.
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