Sunset Restaurant Hosts Storied, Century-Old Work Of Art

By Peter Crispino

One afternoon in 1897, a starving artist walked through the doors of Hall’s Restaurant, which was then a renowned gaslight hangout for politicians and celebrities in Washington, D.C.

Rolled up under his arms were several large paintings he had recently completed — immaculate, wall-sized works of art. After conferring with the restaurant’s owner, he traded his spectacularly detailed charcoal portrait of Adam and Eve in exchange for a hot lunch and a few cold beers, and went on his way.

Since that afternoon over a century ago, Hall’s Restaurant has permanently shut its doors, and the unknown artist has long passed away. That painting, however, has remained in pristine condition, and can today be found at Glen Burnie’s Sunset Restaurant, where it has watched over patrons for more than two decades.

After Hall’s closed and a federal building went up in its stead, the restaurant’s longtime owner, Mary Hall, moved to a home in Pasadena where the painting sat for years. As a regular patron of Sunset Restaurant, Hall observed the myriad of art hanging upon its walls, and its nostalgically refined food and atmosphere.

She thus decided in 1989 that Sunset should take over as curators of the painting. Since then, Sunset owner Arthur “Otts” Fratt has taken up the task of preserving not only the artwork, but the legacy of the former historic speakeasy.

Hall’s Restaurant sat on the shores of the Potomac since 1885 and evolved into a Washingtonian landmark over time, even being featured in the national Life magazine in 1942. Its huge mahogany bar and dimly lit tables served as a meeting place for statesmen and celebrities alike.

“All the politicians would go in there all the time - presidents, ambassadors, senators. President Johnson would go in there often,” explained Fratt. “It was one of the oldest and most popular places for a long, long time.”

According to the book Days of Hope: Race and Democracy in the New Deal Era by historian Patricia Sullivan, Hall’s served as the de facto headquarters for various lobbyists and agencies, including the Southern Policy Committee, an influential group of Southern liberals who were key allies and advocates for President Franklin Roosevelt in the post-New Deal years. Countless backroom deals and compromises were made within the shadow of the starving artist’s painting.

The painting now sits embedded deep in the back wall of Sunset’s dining room, safely encased in a six-inch-thick frame. Alongside it hangs the feature from Life magazine and other photos of the painting from when it hung in its original location.

“It’s such a fine piece of art with a ton of history,” said Fratt. “It’s an honor that Mrs. Hall asked us to keep it here.”

Few restaurants house such ornately painted, century-old pieces of art on their walls, and even fewer carry the legacy of the unknown artist’s Adam and Eve portrait. Restaurant owners would likely pay exorbitant prices for such a work of art, but all it cost Fratt and Mary Hall was a hot lunch and a few cold beers.