Maxfield Parrish, Old King Cole

"John Jacob Astor begged and wheedled the famous painter and illustrator Parrish to paint the King Cole mural for his Knickerbocker Hotel, eventually offering him the unheard-of sum of $5,000. But the relationship between the two strong personalities was fraught from the beginning, and after much to-ing and fro-ing the gorgeous mural was delivered in 1906 with a subtle thumb to Astor’s eye. Look up at the mural today and it’s easy to believe the story is true: King Cole is said to be the sour likeness of Astor himself,  and his courtiers, suppressing laughter all around him, have just heard him fart." -- Richard Nalley (in Forbes Magazine)

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