Montegrappa celebrates creativity and genius in all its forms, whether that be art, film or music and it is the latter of these that inspired another of their recent dedications. Dali himself embodied the surrealism at the core of his work. Not only was he instantly recognisable, but his many eccentricities and penchant for unusual activities made him the living, breathing symbol of his own imagination.
The Genio Creativo collection has honoured to date only two individuals: the greatest of all luthiers, Antonio Stradivari and the remarkable painter and sculptor, Amedeo Modigliani. Now, the new Genio Creativo Salvador Dalí Limited Edition joins its august companions in true Montegrappa style.
Rather than use the universally recognized The Persistence of Memory, Dali’s 1944 work, Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening takes centre stage as inspiration for the collection, containing one of surrealisms most enduring images, the space elephant.
Montegrappa’s designers have transformed these manifestations of Dali’s surrealist notions, portrayed ‘with long, multi-jointed, almost invisible legs of desire along with obelisks on their backs’ into miniature depictions of their creator’s art.
On the Dalí pen, the elephant embraces a barrel of Mediterranean blue celluloid for the silver edition, or in malachite green for the solid gold version, their height spanning the entire length of the pen. When opened, a quote from the artist’s autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí, is inscribed on the sterling silver inner barrel.
Only 1000 sterling silver fountain pens and 989 rollerball pens will be issued, in recognition of the year Dali died, 1989. 19 solid gold rollerball pens and 61 fountain pens will represent the year he created the 1961 jewellery, The Space Elephant. The pens are packaged, appropriately, in an egg-shaped container, in recognition of another Dalíesque image. For the artist, the egg symbolised hope and love.
And for accessories…Watches: IWC Da Vinci Chrono Ceramic. Bi-directional winding system, recorded hrs/min time display. Encased in zirconium oxide, T5 titanium. Watches: Parmigani XL Hebdomadaire. 8 day power reserve, grill featuring rhodium-plated appliqués. Delta-shaped hands, opaline date discs. Watches: Panerai’s behemoth Mare Nostrum. 52mm sized, XXV calibre, tourbillion. 31 jewels, silicon escapment using nano-scale tech. parts.
Exhibition ~ A staunch believer in the Republican cause, a freethinker and chronicler of everyday life in turbulent 19th century Paris, Honoré Daumier lived during a pivotal time in France’s history. ‘Visions of Paris’ sets out to explore his legacy through 130 works, many of which have never been seen in the UK before, with a concentration on paintings, drawings, watercolours and sculptures.
Daumier’s work has been admired by artists both of his time such as Degas and Delacroix as well as those who followed; from Picasso and Francis Bacon to Paula Rego and Quentin Blake. Daumier made his living as a caricaturist in newspapers, observing and ridiculing the conceits of bourgeois society, reserving special criticism for dishonest politicians and lawyers; even earning himself a spell in jail for his depiction of King Louis Philippe as Gargantua. Broadly chronological, this exhibition is the first to go beyond Daumier’s lithographs in the UK since 1961.
Spanning the decades from 1830 to 1879 it will look at the range of his output, from disturbing images of fugitives from the cholera epidemics and deeply felt images of the laundresses and street entertainers living in his neighbourhood to his take on the role of spectators and collectors in judging art. In its variety and breadth, this exhibition will give visitors visions of Paris to live long in the memory.
More complicated than selecting the perfect top hat to wear to Ascot is the issue of when to wear it. A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, private box, or within any enclosed seating area, suggests the new Style Guide, but the hat must be worn at all other occasions. The customisation of top hats (we dread to think) is also strictly forbidden.
Ascot:
The Duchess of Cambridge best take note. While flamboyant headwear has long gone hand in hand with the annual racing event, Ascot asks that you leave your fascinators at the door this year. All headpieces must cover four inches of the head or more. Look out for wide-brimmed hats and don’t be afraid of outlandish styles.