Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stood at the heart of the 18th century’s intellectual renaissance, his enduring writings a testament to his genius. A distinguished polymath—celebrated author, jurist, statesman, theatre director, and dedicated naturalist—he was a true innovator, continually expanding the horizons of thought and understanding. Motivated by an unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, his remarkable creative breadth was without equal.
Goethe’s genius is reflected in the profound philosophy of Faust, the delicate lyricism of his poetry, and the extensive scientific research behind his colour theory and botanical studies—each of monumental importance. As a poet, statesman, advisor, companion, and lover, he profoundly influenced his era and continues to inspire with his vision. In collaboration with the Klassik Stiftung Weimar and the Goethe National Museum, Montblanc honors this universal intellect with the Writers Edition Homage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition, celebrating especially his literary legacy.
Writing was the essence of Goethe’s existence. His complete works encompass 40 volumes, featuring nearly 3,000 poems. In 1773, his play Götz von Berlichingen was published anonymously, and just a year later, a burst of creativity produced The Sorrows of Young Werther in under four weeks. This work propelled the 25-year-old lawyer to instant acclaim, placing German literature firmly on the European stage. The novel explores the turmoil of a young man torn between love and duty, passion and societal expectations.
An entire generation identified deeply with the tragic fate of Werther. This novel’s influence is evident in the Limited Edition’s design: the rich marble-like lacquer on the cap and barrel reflects Werther’s vivid descriptions, while the barrel ring’s engraving mirrors the framing found in early copperplate illustrations of the novel. Another design element draws inspiration from Goethe’s Weimar residence—the blue hue and lacquer pattern echo the wallpaper of the Juno room. The gold- and platinum-coated fittings recall the home’s decorative accents, and a delicate clover-leaf motif engraved on the cap top originates from a letter Goethe wrote to Charlotte Buff, the real-life inspiration for Lotte in Werther.
A landmark of the Sturm und Drang movement, Goethe’s early epistolary novel was celebrated as a brilliant achievement and a masterpiece of global literature. In a letter dated January 26, 1827, Goethe gave the term “world literature” a broader meaning than it holds today, describing it as an international exchange of literary ideas and artistic inspiration. Just as he wove Persian poetic influences into his West-Eastern Diwan, he believed literature should embody universality, transcending language, culture, and time.
Reflecting Goethe’s vision of a global literary exchange embodied in his concept of “world literature,” the pen’s cap is shaped like a globe, topped with the Montblanc emblem. Goethe’s *Faust. A Tragedy* stands among the most translated and performed plays worldwide. Goethe admired Eugène Delacroix’s lithographs created for the French edition of *Faust*, particularly the image of Mephistopheles soaring over a nocturnal city, which is intricately engraved on the nib. The inscriptions “Faust” and “1790” mark the Leipzig publication of *Faust. A Fragment*. Faust’s relentless quest for knowledge parallels Goethe’s own scientific curiosity, which he valued even above his poetry in later years. His *Theory of Colours* explored diverse fields from physics to colour psychology, offering groundbreaking insights into colour’s nature. Goethe also pursued studies in optics, anatomy, biology, and geology, meticulously cataloguing thousands of specimens.
The cap’s gently curved form, reminiscent of a vintage chemist’s glass jar, pays homage to Goethe’s scientific achievements and his passion for collecting. The leaf-shaped clip reflects his morphological studies, particularly his concept of an archetypal plant, which he also celebrated in verse through his didactic poem *The Metamorphosis of Plants*. The Limited Edition’s overall design, especially the barrel and cone, draws inspiration from the historic writing instruments Goethe used to capture his vast knowledge, insights, and boundless poetic creativity.
Domestic Shipping
The Pleasure of Writing is happy to offer free domestic standard shipping for orders over $150. Orders below $150 will be charged the carrier rate calculated at the checkout. Most orders are shipped within 1 business day. Once your order ships, we will e-mail you a tracking number so you may track it at UPS.com or USPS.com. Please note transit times do not include weekends and holidays and deliveries only occur on business days.
We do offer express shipping. Please note express orders will be shipped out within 1 business day. Transit time begins when the order ships and does not include holidays and weekends. Some products are not able to ship express.
For special shipping or delivery requests please write your request in the comment section or contact us by email or phone.
International Shipping
International shipping is available. We offer DHL standard shipping options at the carrier's rate calculated at the checkout. Once your order ships, we will e-mail you a tracking number so you may track it at DHL.com. Please note transit times do not include weekends and holidays and deliveries only occur on business days.
The recipient will be responsible to pay any duties or taxes.
If you need to update your shipping address please email (info@ThePleasureOfWriting.com) or call us at +1 831-626-8828. We will do our best to update the shipping address if your order has not shipped. If your order has already shipped we will not be able to change the shipping address. If the order is returned to us we can re-ship for an additional shipping charge.
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At The Pleasure of Writing, we hope that you love what you ordered. In the event that you are not satisfied, however, we have policies in places for returns, refunds, and repairs.
Upon receiving your order, be sure to carefully handle and inspect merchandise for any damage or defects; should there be a physical problem with the order, let us know as soon as possible by either calling us at 831-626-8828 or via email at info@thepleasureofwriting.com. The window for notifying us is within 30 days of receipt your order. Return requests received following day will be judged on case-by-case basis and may incur a restocking fee.
At The Pleasure of Writing, we hope that you love what you ordered, but if something is amiss with your order, let us know right away. Upon receiving your shipment, be sure to carefully handle and inspect pens for damage or defect.
Should there be a defect, we will work with you on a solution. In certain cases we can work with the distributor or manufacturer to replace the merchandise, in which case all shipping and handling will be covered. In the event that a refund is wanted for defective items, we will refund 100% of the sale to the payment method.
If the reason for return is based on preference, i.e. you received the item and didn’t like some aspect of it though it is fully functional, we will work with customers on a case-by-case basis to determine the best options. In some cases we may offer either store credit or refunds to payment method less a 15% handling fee (to cover the fees we incur from such returns); either way, we are always happy to work with our clients to help them find exactly the right writing instrument.
Once the necessity of a return has been determined, we will issue a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number, which you should write clearly on the outer box. Return shipping charges will be the responsibility of the customer (except in the case of damage/defect); we recommend shipping via insured ground service with a tracking number.
Returns must be received in their original state, and include all original packaging (warranty papers, cartridges and converters, etc.), and of course if you need to return a product because it is damaged or defective, we will apologize for the inconvenience and make it right.
Note that all returns are at the discretion of The Pleasure of Writing.
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item and the status of your refund; if approved, your agreed-upon refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment within 10 days. Note that some refunds can take time to process depending on banks and credit card companies; if you haven’t received an expected refund, contact your financial institution first.
Note that we are unable to accept returns on any item that came free with another product or was purchased on sale, closeout, or other discounts; additionally, we cannot accept returns on any special-order products that can take many months to prepare, or on pens or nibs that have been modified in any way. Neither can we accept returns on used ink, paper, journals, sealing wax, or other supplies.
Note that we accept inked or dipped fountain pens for return or refund with the 30-day window, but these will incur a 15% fee as we can no longer sell them as new merchandise.
