Montblanc presents Patron of Art Edition Gaius Cilnius Maecenas Limited Edition 4810
Celebrating 20 years of Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award
When Montblanc presented its first Patron of Art Limited Edition 20 years ago, the brand offered a different way of celebrating the arts by focusing on those individuals who make artistic achievements possible. While artists and performers are often celebrated and awarded prestigious prizes for their artistic excellence, rarely recognized are those individuals who invest time and much needed investment to make such artistic moments happen. Montblanc has unconventionally placed the spotlight on those who enable cultural advancement and has celebrated these efforts by awarding a prize unlike any other: the ʻMontblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Awardʼ, with the Patron of Art
Limited Edition as the symbol of this international accolade.
The prestigious ʻMontblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Awardʼ honours those patrons in meanwhile 12 countries who support artists and cultural projects with their selfless personal commitment or financial backing. Every year since its creation in 1992, Montblanc has devoted a Limited Edition writing instrument to a historic arts patron.
These intricately crafted writing instruments celebrating the very importance of patronage have themselves become sought after works of art. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the ʻMontblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Awardʼ, Montblanc pays a fitting tribute to the man who is considered the original patron of the arts. With the launch of a particularly refined and elegant writing instrument, "Maecenas", Montblanc pays tribute to Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, a Roman widely regarded as the founding father of cultural patronage.
Maecenas - The first "Patron of the Arts"
Maecenas (70 BC - 8 BC) enjoyed immense wealth throughout his life, and as a diplomat and politician achieved influence as a friend and advisor of Octavian who eventually became Augustus the first Roman Emperor. He recognized the genius of the poets of that time, including Horace and Virgil by giving them full financial support. Thanks to this security, these poets were able to devote their lives to lyrical verse and develop their artistry to push new creative boundaries. As a result, in many languages, his name has now become an eponym for "a generous Patron of the Arts" or "cultural benefactor".
It is known that the patronage given by Maecenas was not given out of mere vanity or an insatiable passion for letters. Maecenas saw literature as a powerful way of reconciling men's minds to the new order of things under Augustus. As a powerful statesman, he recognized his own cultural responsibility to the glory of the state.
A unique Limited Edition Writing Instrument
Limited to just 4,810 pieces, which corresponds to the height of Mont Blanc in meters, this Patron of Art Limited Edition is a fitting tribute to Maecenas, richly decorated with symbols from his life and greatly influenced by Roman aesthetics. The design of this writing instrument is inspired by the columns of Roman temples; the barrel is a creation in marbled lacquer, reflecting the magnificent architecture of ancient Rome. The first verse of an ode to Maecenas, composed by Horace, appears on the cap, crafted, as are its rings, from 925 sterling silver. A finely engraved laurel wreath twines around the top ring. With the inscription ʻGaius Cilnius Maecenasʼ, the cap ring bears the complete name of the man possibly considered historyʼs greatest patron of the arts. The base of the cone is graced with an inlaid reproduction of an ancient Roman coin, upon which a likeness of Maecenas is eternalized and the clipʼs shape of an ancient Roman sword reflect the manʼs military exploits alongside Augustus. A laurel wreath and the Roman numerals ʻMMXIʼ in finest engraving ennoble the rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib to illustrate that this unique writing instrument is dedicated to the memory of the spiritual father of patronage, and issued in the year 2011.