Background
“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” was commissioned for $6,000 in the aftermath of San Francisco’s 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire. Parrish’s creation made its debut with the grand reopening of the Palace Hotel in 1909.
The 16-foot-long painting is one of only two Maxfield Parrish barroom artworks in the US. Its counterpart, “Old King Cole,” is displayed in Manhattan’s St. Regis Hotel bar. Legendary San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, whose signature martini is still served at the Palace Hotel bar, revered Parrish’s masterpiece.
Potential Sale
On March 22, 2013, the Palace Hotel owners shockingly announced they had removed the beloved Maxfield Parrish painting from The Pied Piper Bar & Grill for sale at a Christie’s auction. Auction proceeds were estimated at $3,000,000 to $5,000,000.
A Palace Hotel press release stated: “It is no longer practical for the hotel to display an original work of this value and cultural significance in a public area.”
Public Outcry
San Francisco Heritage, a preservation group, plus a coalition of individuals, nonprofits, city officials and members of the media mobilized in protest. Reacting to the public outcry, which included a social media campaign and an online petition that garnered 1,200 signatures in less than two days, the Palace Hotel quickly reversed its decision to sell the painting.
Happy Ending
On August 22, 2013, The Pied Piper returned to its rightful place at the Palace Hotel after undergoing a painstaking restoration by Rustin Levenson Art Conservation Associate in New York City. The firm benefitted from its 2007 museum quality restoration of the Parrish’s St Regis Hotel’s Old King Cole.
From San Francisco Heritage (www.sfheritage.org): “The return of The Pied Piper is a triumph for the city’s cultural legacy. Heritage applauds the Palace’s ownership for listening to the overwhelming public plea for its safe return, restoring an indelible piece of San Francisco’s cultural identity.”