Philadelphia on a Half-Tank

Painted on the side of an oil tank at a refinery, Philly on a Half-Tank was one of the first images of the city one saw when traveling by car into Center City from Philadelphia International Airport. Artist Paul Santoleri chose this image to represent “the busyness and liveliness of the city, with a bit of exaggeration in the architecture.” The title of the mural spoofs the popular nickname for Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, which is Venus on a Half Shell.

The mural was restored in 2009.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (mural dismantled in 2022 for site redevelopment).