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.
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. back
Platinum-plated body
Red lacquer inlays
Ivory-coloured Montblanc star
Platinum-plated 18-karat gold nib
If you want a Montblanc, you want the best. But if you shop
from an unauthorized source, you could end up with a fake
Montblanc, a stolen Montblanc, or product that has been
tampered with. And, if not getting a genuine Montblanc isn’t
bad enough, there’s something else you won’t
get - the Montblanc Service warranty.
To avoid this, always look for the Montblanc Authorized
Retailer logo proudly on display. And be sure to check for
the serial number on the clip. After all, if you’re
paying for a Montblanc, you should get a Montblanc.
